Thursday, September 14, 2017

LIFE IS UNFAIR, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A NON-HUMAN

by Bob Walsh

Yes, Homo Sapien Sapien definitely has a leg up within "the system" in most circumstances. Naruto is a simian, specifically a black macaque, at a refuge in Indonesia. Six years back he "borrowed" a camera from a photographer who left it unattended and took a selfie, which was subsequently published and made the photographer a modest pile of money.

PETA sued in federal court on behalf of the simian, asserting that the non-human in fact owned, or at least should own, the copyright. The court told them to fuck off. PETA appealed, but the matter has been settled with the photographer donating a chunk of the money to various warm-and-fuzzy animal welfare programs hither and yon.

The judge ruled (correctly) that the U. S. Copyright Act applies only to humans. It is just so unfair.........

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