Can a Monkey Get a Copyright & Issue a Takedown? 335
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."
Maybe a million monkeys (Score:5, Funny)
Can a Monkey Get a Copyright & Issue a Takedown?
Maybe a million monkeys could do it, as they do with Shakespeare.
Derivative works? (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, but what about derivative works like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwjones/5914210045/ [flickr.com] or this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwjones/5914755036/ [flickr.com]
Infinite Monkeys (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Seems fair (Score:5, Funny)
[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]
Re:Maybe a million monkeys (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Maybe a million monkeys (Score:5, 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.
Re:Derivative works? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Maybe a million monkeys (Score:4, Funny)
No kidding. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, a million monkeys typing on a million typewriters will produce some variation upon Finnegan's Wake.
Monkey Business (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Maybe a million monkeys (Score:4, Funny)
"It was the best of times, it was
blurst of times."
You stupid monkey!
Or.. (Score:2, Funny)
100,000 monkeys for a Bush speech
The moneky speaks his mind (Score:4, Funny)
And three monkeys sat in a coconut tree
Discussing things as they are said to be
Said one to other now listen, you two
“There’s a certain rumour that just can’t be true
That man descended from our noble race
Why, the very idea is a big disgrace, yea”
No monkey ever deserted his wife
Starved her baby and ruined her life
Yea, the monkey speaks his mind
And you’ve never known a mother monk
To leave her babies with others to bunk
And passed them on from one to another
‘Til they scarcely knew which was their mother
Yea, the monkey speak his mind
And another thing you will never see
A monkey build a fence around a coconut tree
And let all the coconuts go to waste
Forbidding all other monkeys to come and taste
Why, if I put a fence around this tree
Starvation would force you to steal from me
Yea, the monkey speaks his mind
Here’s another thing a monkey won’t do
Go out on a night and get all in a stew
Or use a gun or a club or a knife
And take another monkey’s life
Yes, man descended, the worthless bum
But, brothers, from us he did not come
Yea, the monkey speaks his mind
.