Re: if cost == 0 then panic
"You don't need to even consider AI, What happens if a photo is set up so that a ball is released at a random time, rolls down a slope breaking a sensor beam and releasing the camera's shutter? I.e. no photographer pressing the button. Who would own the copyright of that?"
Well, that's just a randomized Rube Goldberg timer which someone set up. You could very well just release the ball manually but the time for the ball to roll down would still never have the exact time if you drill it down to milli- or microseconds.
I think a better analogy would be:
If an animal triggers a (concealed) wildlife camera to take a picture - who owns the copyright?
The animal very likely doesn't understand the concept of pictures or taking them. Probably the monkey in question saw its face in the LCD view finder and kept pressing the protruding trigger which made a funny noise. (don't know which sort of camera and set up it had)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
