Monkey Takes Self-portrait

Image credit  - You tell me!!!

Believe it or not, this is a self portrait. When award-winning photographer David Slater left his camera unattended, this grinning macaque seized his opportunity. Fascinated by his reflection in the lens, he then somehow managed to work the camera. He even managed to snap a shot with Slater in the frame!

 "One of them must have accidentally knocked the camera and set it off because the sound caused a bit of a frenzy, said Slater, 46. At first there was a lot of grimacing with their teeth showing because it was probably the first time they had ever seen a reflection. They were quite mischievous jumping all over my equipment, and it looked like they were already posing for the camera when one hit the button. The sound got his attention and he kept pressing it. At first it scared the rest of them away but they soon came back - it was amazing to watch. He must have taken hundreds of pictures by the time I got my camera back, but not very many were in focus. He obviously hadn't worked that out yet."

Interestingly,  controversy brewed  when website Techdirt questioned about the ownership of those photos. The website was later asked to remove the image from its pages by a news agency acting on behalf of Mr Slater – sparking a fresh debate about the true copyright holder.

Here are some quotes from both parties.
Slater - "Until I hear from the monkey’s lawyers, I will stick to the belief that I own the copyright"

Techdirt - "If I leave out a stack of crayons for my son and he colors the walls, do I get the copyright on it?"

What's your take on this?