Interesting Facts

Wikimedia, has refused a photographer’s repeated requests to stop distributing his most famous shot for free – because the photograph of a monkey was a selfie - the monkey pressed the shutter button and therefore should own the copyright. ( Gloucestershire-based photographer David Slater was in Indonesia in 2011 attempting to get the perfect image of a crested black macaque when one of the animals came up to investigate his equipment, hijacked his camera and took hundreds of selfies. One of those selfies is now famous. Understandably Mr Slater is less than pleased. Probably because one of his best images, was taken by a monkey. Copyright law, which is a minefield in itself, says that the person who takes a photograph owns the copyright (regardless of who owns the camera it was taken on). Of course monkeys aren't people - yet, but it's an interesting grey area. BTW - if you can't take a better selfie than this one, please don't bother.)

Leonardo Da Vinci has been credited with inventing the designer handbag. (It's believed he drew a sketch of an ornate leather accessory in 1497 while he was painting The Last Supper. Now a luxury Italian brand, Gherardini, has decided to manufacture a bag based on Leonardo's design - more than five centuries after his death. I guess the copyright has run out by now.) One for  +april sis .  

Star Wars helmets are industrial props, not works of art. (So, why is this interesting? Well it's very interesting to a British prop designer and George Lucas. On Wednesday Andrew Ainsworth, said prop designer, won a court battle against US film company boss George Lucas over his right to sell replica Stormtrooper helmets. Declaring the helmets functional and not artistic, means they are not subject to full copyright law, and their only copyright protection is 15 years from the date they were marketed. So, if you want to dress up, you are free to do so.)

Musical instrument shops must pay an annual royalty to cover shoppers who perform a recognisable riff before they buy, thereby making a "public performance". (That's it! The world has officially gone mad! Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!)