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Can a Monkey Get a Copyright & Issue a Takedown?

Posted by Soulskill on from the would-be-a-step-up-for-some dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Last week, the Daily Mail published a story about some monkeys in Indonesia who happened upon a camera and took some photos of themselves. The photos are quite cute. However, Techdirt noticed that the photos had copyright notices on them, and started a discussion over who actually held the copyright in question, noting that, if anyone did, the monkeys had the best claim, and certainly not the photographer. Yet, the news agency who claimed copyright issued a takedown to Techdirt! When presented with the point that it's unlikely the news agency could hold a legitimate copyright, the agency told Techdirt it didn't matter. Techdirt claims that using the photos for such a discussion is a clear case of fair use, an argument which has so far been ignored."

5 of 335 comments (clear)

  1. Maybe a million monkeys by perpenso · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can a Monkey Get a Copyright & Issue a Takedown?

    Maybe a million monkeys could do it, as they do with Shakespeare.

    1. Re:Maybe a million monkeys by willworkforbeer · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...not to get too technical, but in the industry that's known as one "Michael Bay Script Unit"

      --
      Pretending this is my office full of bitter coworkers..
    2. Re:Maybe a million monkeys by jbeaupre · · Score: 4, Funny

      Shakespeare's works are public domain, which is why monkeys can do it. It might take a million of them to figure out how to do it, but every one of them knows they'll be turned into monkey stew if they try to write anything by J K Rowling. An encyclopedia of her works, they are still debating.

      --
      The world is made by those who show up for the job.
  2. Derivative works? by BWJones · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, but what about derivative works like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwjones/5914210045/ or this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwjones/5914755036/

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  3. Re:Seems fair by artor3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I know that if you are the sole possessor of, e.g., a discontinued book, you become the copyright holder of that work.

    [citation needed]

    The OP is clearly american, and americans are under the belief that their words and actions are law and always right.

    [citation needed]