PHOTOGRAPHER THREATENS MUSICIANS
Nature photographer David J. Slater, known for numerous lost copyright disputes against Wikicommons among others regarding the famous monkey selfie "Naruto", is currently attempting to take action against the punk band "Terrorgruppe" and their partners through cease-and-desist letters via a "Limited" company he founded.
The band Terrorgruppe had already legally licensed the macaque selfie as an "Open Common License" from Wikicommons in 2015 and used the photo taken by the Sulawesi monkey "Naruto" in the Tangkoko Reserve as cover artwork for their 2016 album "TIERGARTEN".
As far as we know, Terrorgruppe was also the only licensee of the Wikicommons selfie that collected donations for the protection of monkeys instead of making photo license payments. In the summer of 2016, they spoke in a video (https://youtu.be/G9oYEvHPJak) with primatologist Dr. Dirk Meyer about the monkey "Naruto" as a photographer and author, and subsequently donated a sum typical for cover artworks through the organization "Chances for Nature e.V." to the Tangkoko Conservation Education Program, which is committed to the sustainable protection and preservation of endangered macaques in the Sulawesi nature reserve, especially for future generations. Furthermore, the band initiated two successful crowdfunding campaigns for further sustainable environmental work in the northwest of the Indonesian island.
Now, an "offshore and money laundering paradise" registered copyright by David J. Slater on the monkey selfies is being used to take action against the band. The basis and authorization of this document are mysterious. Instead of attacking the global licensor Wikicommons/Wikimedia with this paper, the "Limited" founded by Slater is now targeting supposedly small, weaker, and legally less well-positioned licensees of the photo with a strategy of emails, cease-and-desist letters, and intimidation.
If this legal attack were successful, it could potentially mean not only a ban on the album "Tiergarten" but also a ban on all reports about it, features, reviews, listings, shop offers, concert reviews, films, posters, catalogs, archives, postings, and even chronicles, as long as they are still accessible on the internet (thus effectively "all"). And likewise for all print media that are still orderable in stores. (!!) The band therefore sees this attack not only as an assault on the album "Tiergarten" and on everything the Terrorgruppe has created in terms of creative output between autumn 2014 and January 2017, but also as an attack on many structures of the independent and alternative music scene in Central Europe.
The band will continue to defend itself against the claimed copyrights.
The two band founders MC Motherfucker and Johnny Bottrop in a brief statement: "No Mr. David Slater, the face, hands, body, and skill of the macaque Naruto belong solely to him and no one else. (!!!) And whoever tries to derive any ownership claims from this circumstance for their personal ego (or bank account) should write behind their ears: A generous donation towards Tangkoko National Park, Tangkoko Conservation Education, or Macaca Nigra Project for the protection of the endangered macaques is the only legitimate form of financial transaction!"
Nature photographer David J. Slater, known for numerous lost copyright disputes against Wikicommons among others regarding the famous monkey selfie "Naruto", is currently attempting to take action against the punk band "Terrorgruppe" and their partners through cease-and-desist letters via a "Limited" company he founded.
The band Terrorgruppe had already legally licensed the macaque selfie as an "Open Common License" from Wikicommons in 2015 and used the photo taken by the Sulawesi monkey "Naruto" in the Tangkoko Reserve as cover artwork for their 2016 album "TIERGARTEN".
As far as we know, Terrorgruppe was also the only licensee of the Wikicommons selfie that collected donations for the protection of monkeys instead of making photo license payments. In the summer of 2016, they spoke in a video (https://youtu.be/G9oYEvHPJak) with primatologist Dr. Dirk Meyer about the monkey "Naruto" as a photographer and author, and subsequently donated a sum typical for cover artworks through the organization "Chances for Nature e.V." to the Tangkoko Conservation Education Program, which is committed to the sustainable protection and preservation of endangered macaques in the Sulawesi nature reserve, especially for future generations. Furthermore, the band initiated two successful crowdfunding campaigns for further sustainable environmental work in the northwest of the Indonesian island.
Now, an "offshore and money laundering paradise" registered copyright by David J. Slater on the monkey selfies is being used to take action against the band. The basis and authorization of this document are mysterious. Instead of attacking the global licensor Wikicommons/Wikimedia with this paper, the "Limited" founded by Slater is now targeting supposedly small, weaker, and legally less well-positioned licensees of the photo with a strategy of emails, cease-and-desist letters, and intimidation.
If this legal attack were successful, it could potentially mean not only a ban on the album "Tiergarten" but also a ban on all reports about it, features, reviews, listings, shop offers, concert reviews, films, posters, catalogs, archives, postings, and even chronicles, as long as they are still accessible on the internet (thus effectively "all"). And likewise for all print media that are still orderable in stores. (!!) The band therefore sees this attack not only as an assault on the album "Tiergarten" and on everything the Terrorgruppe has created in terms of creative output between autumn 2014 and January 2017, but also as an attack on many structures of the independent and alternative music scene in Central Europe.
The band will continue to defend itself against the claimed copyrights.
The two band founders MC Motherfucker and Johnny Bottrop in a brief statement: "No Mr. David Slater, the face, hands, body, and skill of the macaque Naruto belong solely to him and no one else. (!!!) And whoever tries to derive any ownership claims from this circumstance for their personal ego (or bank account) should write behind their ears: A generous donation towards Tangkoko National Park, Tangkoko Conservation Education, or Macaca Nigra Project for the protection of the endangered macaques is the only legitimate form of financial transaction!"
