If Change of Context is Transformative, Why Can’t a Monkey Hold a Copyright?

Once again our friendly banana-eating selfie-taker has lost his fight to own a copyright.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick, presiding at a federal court in San Francisco, ruled that “while Congress and the president can extend the protection of law to animals as well as humans, there is no indication that they did so in the Copyright Act.” “I just don’t see that it could go as broadly as beyond humans,” he added.

Will Naruto appeal? We hope so. Regardless, Naruto would be well-advised to take another selfie and start an Instagram account. We’ve heard that’s a great feeder system for making it as an artist.