Monkey’s selfie cannot be copyrighted, US regulators say

[PoliticAverse]

45. From Slater's website...

http://www.djsphotography.co.uk/Tropical%20Forests/Sulawesi%20Macaques.htm :

It was about midday on the second day and the monkeys, about 25 strong of all ages, halted for a rest and a grooming session. It had been a hard day as usual, slashing through tangled and very humid jungle, climbing over and squating under fallen trees, all with a 20kg backpack on full of expensive camera gear. I sat close by them, camera at the ready as always. I must have tuned in to them, because after some time a few brave monkeys began to come closer, and slowly but surely began paying me more attention. I held out my hand and WOW, one held my hand back. Shock! This went on for maybe 15 minutes. They started to groom me, picking through my hair as I knelt on the ground, hunched over my camera, but desperate to record it all. I knew about monkey etiquette from many previous encounters around the world, and this made that knowledge so much more than worthwhile.

I decided to set up the camera on a beanbag on a log, self-timer all set. I was afraid they would run off of course, but they didn't. Rather, they grabbed my camera! Quick thinking had my guide rushing to save it - lesson learnt. Setting up the camera again, some of the cheekier monkeys had now got bored, and now even my guide had wandered off for a smoke. I was alone and had to encourage the monkeys back to me for my intended contact experience photo. Soon enough, I was jokingly asking for his help again as the monkeys looked increasingly cheeky as they touched the camera with that glint in their piercing red eyes. It was now that I heard some frames reeled off when my guide struggled to keep the camera from little monkey fingers - the scene was set.

I wanted to keep my new found friends happy and with me. I now wanted to get right in their faces with a wide angle lens, but that was proving too difficult as they were nervous of something - I couldn't tell what. So I put my camera on a tripod with a very wide angle lens, settings configured such as predictive autofocus, motorwind, even a flashgun, to give me a chance of a facial close up if they were to approach again for a play. I duly moved away and bingo, they moved in, fingering the toy, pressing the buttons and fingering the lens. I was then to witness one of the funniest things ever as they grinned, grimaced and bared teeth at themselves in the reflection of the large glassy lens. Was this what they where afraid of earlier? Perhaps also the sight of the shutter planes moving within the lens also amused or scared them? They played with the camera until of course some images were inevitably taken! I had one hand on the tripod when this was going on, but I was being prodded and poked by would be groomers and a few playful juveniles who nibbled at my arms. Eventually the dominant male at times became over excited and eventually gave me a whack with his hand as he bounced off my back. I new then that I had to leave before I possibly got him too upset. The whole experiance lasted about 30 minutes.