Almost 2 years ago, a selfie of the Indonesian macaque Naruto went around the world, soon followed by reports of a bizarre copyright dispute over the unique self-portrait of the photography-loving monkey. The quirky legal battle involving various parties remains unresolved to this day, and the photo is still under Creative Commons rights.
The Berlin punk band TERRORGRUPPE also used the photo as the cover of their album "Tiergarten" in early 2016, like many other artists and graphic designers.
Now the band has pragmatically resolved the dispute over the licensing rights to the photo. In July, the monkey Naruto actually received his first "royalties" ever from the band in the form of a €500 donation, which is about the same amount the band would have paid as a licensing fee for the use of a cover photo to an agency. Of course, the handsome macaque himself did not receive the money - he probably does not have a bank account - but the organization "Chances For Nature eV", which collaborates closely with the conservationists of "Tangkoko Conservation Education" in the nature reserve of the same name on the island of Sulawesi, where Naruto and his group of about 35 animals live. At the same time, the band is calling on all their fans, friends, and followers to contribute a small donation as well.
The goal of the campaign is less about promoting the reserve area or providing for the macaque group, but rather a special EDUCATIONAL PROJECT of the conservationists: Indonesian volunteers are conducting workshops and courses on macaques and conservation in all schools and kindergartens, in all village squares and markets in the vicinity of the Tangkoko Reserve, organizing numerous excursions into the monkeys' territory. The children and young people are to be inspired by curiosity and direct contact to protect the rare and endangered monkeys and to support the project. Because the kids are the future.
And the biggest threat to the macaques has always been humans. This will change with a new generation of young Sulawesian people.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9oYEvHPJak
Donation Account Chances for Nature e.V.
IBAN: DE15 2605 0001 0056 0235 18
(Sparkasse Göttingen / BIC: NOLADE21GOE)
Reference "Naruto"
The Berlin punk band TERRORGRUPPE also used the photo as the cover of their album "Tiergarten" in early 2016, like many other artists and graphic designers.
Now the band has pragmatically resolved the dispute over the licensing rights to the photo. In July, the monkey Naruto actually received his first "royalties" ever from the band in the form of a €500 donation, which is about the same amount the band would have paid as a licensing fee for the use of a cover photo to an agency. Of course, the handsome macaque himself did not receive the money - he probably does not have a bank account - but the organization "Chances For Nature eV", which collaborates closely with the conservationists of "Tangkoko Conservation Education" in the nature reserve of the same name on the island of Sulawesi, where Naruto and his group of about 35 animals live. At the same time, the band is calling on all their fans, friends, and followers to contribute a small donation as well.
The goal of the campaign is less about promoting the reserve area or providing for the macaque group, but rather a special EDUCATIONAL PROJECT of the conservationists: Indonesian volunteers are conducting workshops and courses on macaques and conservation in all schools and kindergartens, in all village squares and markets in the vicinity of the Tangkoko Reserve, organizing numerous excursions into the monkeys' territory. The children and young people are to be inspired by curiosity and direct contact to protect the rare and endangered monkeys and to support the project. Because the kids are the future.
And the biggest threat to the macaques has always been humans. This will change with a new generation of young Sulawesian people.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9oYEvHPJak
Donation Account Chances for Nature e.V.
IBAN: DE15 2605 0001 0056 0235 18
(Sparkasse Göttingen / BIC: NOLADE21GOE)
Reference "Naruto"
