The Debate Over Copyright Ownership

The discussion begins with the ongoing controversy surrounding David Slater and the monkey selfies he engineered, which led to a pivotal question about copyright ownership. Despite Slater setting up the shot with meticulous effort and equipment, he faced a legal roadblock because the monkey pressed the shutter, creating a paradox in copyright law. According to U.S. regulations, only humans can hold copyrights, leaving Slater without ownership of the viral image. This case illustrates the complexities of copyright legislation, especially when it comes to creative contributions from non-human entities.