Summary
In 2018, the US Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of copyright infringement claims filed by PETA as a next friend to Naruto, a monkey who took “selfies” with a wildlife photographer’s camera. The claim declared that “Naruto should be afforded the protection of a claim of ownership, and the right to recover damages and other relief for copyright infringement.” The court ruled that Naruto lacked standing because the Copyright Act does not explicitly authorize animals to file copyright infringement suits.
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2026. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/naruto-v-slater/.
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