PETA Statement: Ninth Circuit’s ‘Monkey Selfie’ Opinion Reaffirms Nonhuman Animals’ Constitutional Right

For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2018

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from general counsel to PETA Jeff Kerr:

Today, the court reaffirmed that nonhuman animals have the constitutional right to bring a case to federal court when they’ve been wronged, but the opinion still missed the point, which was that Naruto the macaque undeniably took the photos, and denying him the right to sue under the U.S. Copyright Act emphasizes what PETA has argued all along—that he is discriminated against simply because he’s a nonhuman animal.

Meanwhile, the groundbreaking settlement in this case still stands, and 25 percent of the gross proceeds from the photos that Naruto took will go toward supporting him and his community—representing the first time that an animal will obtain a direct financial benefit from something that he or she created. PETA will continue working until the last barrier falls and animals’ fundamental rights are recognized under the law, including their rights as creators.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment.” For more information, please visit PETA.org.