SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A lawsuit over who owns the copyright to selfie photographs snapped by a monkey has ended in a settlement before a federal court could answer the novel legal question.
Lawyers for an animal-rights group said Monday that they would ask a federal appeals court to dismiss the case. They say the photographer whose camera was used to take the photo agreed to donate 25 percent of any future revenue to charities dedicated to protecting crested macaques.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sued on behalf of the macaque monkey in 2015. It sought financial control of the photographs for the benefit of the monkey named Naruto.
A lower court ruled in the photographer’s favor, and the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was considering PETA’s appeal.
[Featured image of unrelated crested black macaques via BBC Earth]