In Naruto (a crested macaque) V Slater ( a man who published photos of the monkeys), PETA filed a lawsuit on Naruto's behalf for copyright infringement because the photos were taken by Naruto himself (pressed shutter button while looking into lens).

ISSUE:

May a monkey sue humans, corporations, and companies for damages and injunctive relief arising from claims of copyright infringement?

ANSWER:

No.

The Copyright Act did not expressly authorize animals to file copyright infringement suits and thus, based on precedent, Naruto lacked statutory standing to sue under the Copyright Act.

I feel like I don't need to explain what a giant waste of time and funds this was for an organization that claims to support and protect wildlife. That time and money could have been put towards conservation of crested macaques, who are currently critically endangered.

A picture from July. It's really hard to believe that this was so long ago!

I think it's finally time for me to go through old photographs from Indonesia and start posting them. It's been difficult looking back on that time because I had so much fun and was so deeply contented while in the forest. I've finally come to realize that if the experience was that important to me, it's crucial that I keep doing these things. May these old pictures add fuel to my graduate school quest in the upcoming year! And may you all enjoy more stories and viewpoints from my time away!