Monkey Selfies Cannot be Copyrighted, Says US Copyrights Office

Monkeys, ghosts and gods cannot hold copyrights for images, the U.S. copyrights office has said.

In its update to its rules regarding ownership of creative works like photographs, text and art, the copyright office said that it will only recognize pieces produced by a human.

In the 1,222 pages of updated rules and regulations , bans on works created by nature , animals , plants or supposedly created by divine or supernatural beings are listed, reports The  Telegraph.

The list includes " a photograph taken by a monkey, which became controversial recently and started the copyrights debate.

But the Copyrights office may register a work where the application states that the work was inspired by a divine spirit, though it bans works created by gods and ghosts.

In 2011, British nature photographer David Slater while on a trip to Indonesia attempted to take a photo of a crested black macaque. One of the monkeys hijacked his camera and took hundreds of  selfies. The image came up in Wikimedia's database for free photos for public use, reports The Telegraph.

Slater then demanded that the photo be removed by Wikimedia since it was his photo. He complained that he spent lots of money for the photo shoot, and used his own costly equipment. Wikemedia however did not entertain Slater's requests saying that as a Monkey took the photograph, there is no copyright on it.

The new rules from the Copyright Office support the stance of Wikemedia, reports Sky News.

"A photograph taken by a monkey" is also cited by the rules as an example for a photograph that cannot be copyrighted.

Another creation cited along with the monkey photograph is that of mural painted by an elephant and driftwood shaped and smoothed by the ocean.