PETA Tag

No rimshot here. Not only is this a thing that happened, it's pulled straight from a motion filed with the Ninth Circuit this earlier week. The bizarre monkey selfie case outdid itself this week. According to PetaPixel:

In September, the animal rights group PETA filed a lawsuit against photographer David Slater, arguing that the monkey who took a series of viral selfies with Slater’s camera in 2011 should be the rightful copyright owner. If you thought that was strange, get this: the legal battle has now evolved into a dispute over the pictured monkey’s identity and gender.

But it gets better. The defense counsel then submitted a motion to dismiss the complaint. The motion began:

A monkey, an animal-rights organization and a primatologist walk into federal court to sue for infringement of the monkey’s claimed copyright. What seems like the setup for a punchline is really happening. It should not be happening…. [D]ismissal of this action is required for lack of standing and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Monkey see, monkey sue is not good law – at least not in the Ninth Circuit.