| Naruto the Macaque | |
|---|---|
 The infamous photograph of Naruto | |
|
Real Name |
Naruto |
|
Born |
Unknown |
|
Died |
Unknown |
Origin[]
In 2011, a crested black macaque named Naruto in Indonesia's Tangkoko-Batuangus Nature Reserve used photographer David Slater's unattended camera to take a series of self-portraits, which became widely known as the "monkey selfies." These images sparked a complex legal debate over copyright ownership.
In 2015, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit on behalf of Naruto, asserting that the monkey should be recognized as the copyright holder of the photographs. The U.S. District Court dismissed the case in 2016, ruling that animals cannot own copyrights under U.S. law. PETA appealed, but in 2017, they reached a settlement with Slater, who agreed to donate 25% of future revenues from the images to charities supporting crested black macaque conservation. In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's decision, reaffirming that non-human animals cannot hold copyrights.
Naruto's actions inadvertently ignited significant discussions about animal rights and intellectual property, highlighting the intersection of wildlife behavior and human legal systems.
Notes[]
- With the court ruling that media created by non-human creatives are not subject to copyright, Naruto the Macaque and his selfie are in the public domain.