Monkey Selfie Photographer David Takes On Goliath Wikipedia
(PRWEB) August 13, 2014 -- Battle lines are being drawn; legal teams are going bananas. In the pre-match round of his impending legal battle with Wikipedia, wildlife photographer David J Slater is about to go one-up on the Goliath by giving away canvas prints of his now famous monkey selfie – at no cost.
In a recently formed partnership, global photo products company Picanova, together with Slater, will be handing out canvas prints of the monkey selfie. With every canvas print redeemed, £1 will be donated to the Sulawesi crested black macaques Conservation Programme (known also as Selamatkan Yaki in Indonesia). In so doing, Slater re-focuses the legal spat onto the conservation status of the Critically Endangered Sulawesi crested black macaques.
“Get a free canvas print and support the monkeys who are in danger,” said Slater.
With £1 for every canvas ordered donated to the Sulawesi crested black macaques Conservation Programme, the primates will be receiving the resources they deserve for their preservation. The Programme’s goals encompass conservation, education and research, with the aim to protect these intelligent primates and their habitat.
The monkey selfie at the heart of the copyright spat has its roots in 2011, while Slater was on a photography tour to a tropical forest north of Sulawesi, Indonesia. During this trip, curiosity got the better of a troop of mischievous macaques, who ran off with his camera in their hands. Slater then realized he had the opportunity to get his close up portrait shots and set the shoot up for the monkeys. One photo in particular shot to fame – with the monkey’s impish smile and knowing glint in its red eyes, it was a photo that captured the hearts of many.
Unfortunately, Wikipedia took the onus to declare it as falling under the public domain. Slater may now be taking this decision to court. With the results holding grave ramifications on copyright law and long-held notions of ownership and authorship, the case has gripped both legal and photography professions around the world.
“We work closely with photographers so this story thoroughly resonated with us. At the same time, while the David versus Goliath legal battle makes for a compelling story, it really isn’t the full picture – the Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque is an extremely intelligent and captivating species and listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species,” said Picanova’s Head of International Partnerships Phil Norris. “We’re excited to work with David to re-direct the spotlight once again on the macaques and support conservation efforts.”
Details on how people can redeem their monkey selfie canvas print can be found on: http://picanova.com/monkeyselfie. With the voucher code “MONKEYSELFIE”, buyers may not only redeem the monkey selfie print, but also use the code to order a print of own photo or use £27.40 credit on a larger size of their choice.
With this stroke, Slater not only turns the tables on Wikipedia’s distribution of his photo, but also takes the tale full circle: instead of downloading from Wikipedia, everybody is invited to take home a canvas print of the monkey selfie, with proceeds donated to the Sulawesi Black Macaques – taking this story back to where it all began.
Redeem your free monkey selfie canvas at: http://picanova.com/monkeyselfie.
To join the conversation and keep tabs on the latest news, tag your posts with: #monkeyselfie.
About David J Slater
David J Slater is the photographer behind many world famous wildlife imagery. With more than 30 years of photography under his belt, his clients include global media giants such as BBC Wildlife, the Boston Globe and the National Geographic Channel.
About Picanova
Picanova.com is a canvas printing service offering custom-made photo art on canvases already stretched on the frame. Picanova.com offers the lowest prices and highest quality in the industry, delivering to 170 countries.
About the Sulawesi crested black macaques Conservation Programme, Selamatkan Yaki
Selamatkan Yaki ("Save the Sulawesi crested black macaques" in Indonesian) stands for the protection of the Critically Endangered Sulawesi crested black macaques. Their efforts encompass conservation, education and research, with the goal of preserving these intelligent primates and their habitat.
If you would like to help the monkeys further, please consider supporting the Conservation Programme by visiting their website http://www.selamatkanyaki.com and spreading the word, or by kindly making a donation to the programme's conservation activities at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/selamatkanyaki.
David J Slater, DJS Photography, http://djsphotography.co.uk, +44 7999950697, [email protected]
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