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Who owns the rights to a monkey selfie?

Answer: no one, maybe

A selfie taken by a crested black macaque in 2011 is now public domain, and is freely available for use and distribution on Wikipedia Commons.

But how such images should be categorized is a matter of dispute, and some, like the photographer whose camera was borrowed by the animal, contend that the image should be his to sell. Though his recent request to Wikipedia to take the image down was denied, the photographer is selling the image through his website, and maintains ownership.

The difference in opinion among various parties and lack of legal precedent further confuses an issue found at the intersection of technology and the animal kingdom.

 

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