# The Intellectual Property of Macaques **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 15, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125 "2011-07-15T14:34:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125/41 "2011-07-16T06:03:34Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > Unless, of course, someone else copies the image and they have to enforce the copyright. Say, someone like TechDirt. Good point but I’d bet since the apes have no standing (not to mention zero ability) to claim a copyright that by default it accrues to the human. If you drop your camera and it snaps a photo do you own the copyright or is it instantly public domain since you did not push the button? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125/42 "2011-07-16T06:22:15Z")
I have long supported the possibility that apes are intelligent. And that monkeys and my dogs might be smarter than people assume. And, because they are unlikely to take such a portrait consciously, the connection between a smile in a mirror and a conscious self-portrait is very unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125/43 "2011-07-16T15:17:39Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > These are “wild animals”, aren’t they? (Not pets or livestock.) Who owns “wild animals”? (Perhaps the national government, in this case of Indonesia.) My bad…for some reason I was thinking this happened at a zoo or similar facility. [emilylittela] Nevermind. [/emilylittela] ---
**Author:** ![David42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@David42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David42)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125/44 "2011-07-17T17:52:11Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > If I own an infinite number of monkeys, with an infinite number of typewriters, and one of them produces Hamlet, who owns the copyright? 🙂 send that monkey to bed with no supper for plagiarizing, and lecture the rest on the desirability for original works. Shakespeare is public domain is he not? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125/45 "2011-07-17T18:52:40Z")
Are artworks in general copyrighted, or only pictures and texts? I ask because this could be thought of as “found art.” If I pick up a piece of trash from the ground, and put it on display, can I copyright that? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125/46 "2011-07-17T22:46:21Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Credulous soul that I am, it never occurred to me that this might be a hoax. . . . > > A well-composed shot is not as remarkable if it’s random amongst hundreds and hundreds of crappy shots. Also, in the picture at the bottom of the page, it seems pretty clear that the monkey is the one with his hand on the shutter release button (or whatever it’s called). ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125/47 "2011-07-17T23:38:23Z")
Como Zoo in St. Paul has an orangutang that paints. Paintings are sold in the gift shop. Copyright goes to the zoo. (They aren’t bad - not at all representational art, but the ape seems to have decent color sense…;)) ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125/48 "2011-07-19T00:39:27Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > TechDirt seems convinced that they’re public domain. If you read more than one or two articles about copyright on that site you’ll quickly realize that TechDirt is convinced that EVERYTHING is either public domain or can be used without permission any way you want to just by stating the magic words “it’s fair use!” TechDirt’s coverage of copyright is comparable to Conservapedia’s articles on liberalism: even taking into account the extreme bias it’s still amazing somehow just how colossally stupid the things they say are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intellectual-property-of-macaques/589125.md?page=2)