Donate

Sulawesi

One of the photos of a crested black macaque monkey that David Slater says belongs to him. Wikipedia claims that, because the monkey pressed the shutter, the photo is a public domain image whose copyright belongs to no one.

The Internet goes ape over a monkey selfie and the copyright battle it sparked

Media

This is no joke: A selfie taken by a crested black macaque has caused a massive copyright battle between Wikipedia and David Slater, who says the popular site is stealing one his most valuable photos.

One of the photos of a crested black macaque monkey that David Slater says belongs to him. Wikipedia claims that, because the monkey pressed the shutter, the photo is a public domain image whose copyright belongs to no one.

The Internet goes ape over a monkey selfie and the copyright battle it sparked

Media
Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!

We respect your time, attention and privacy

This is a news website, not a click casino. We do NOT employ deceptive behaviors, display annoying ads or use third party cookies and trackers to monetize your visit or help advertisers track you across the internet.

Simply, we ask that you would consider a donation to support the journalism we produce every weekday. Thank you.

This is The World

The World is a public radio program and podcast that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter.

Follow The World

Subscribe to The World’s Latest Edition podcast for free using your favorite podcast player: