Supreme Court rejects appeal from computer scientist seeking copyright for AI-created artwork
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined an appeal from a computer scientist who was denied a copyright for artwork created by an artificial intelligence system. (Image from Shutterstock)
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined an appeal from a computer scientist who was denied a copyright for artwork created by an artificial intelligence system.
The high court’s Monday decision leaves in place a ruling last year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that sided with the U.S. Copyright Office’s position that only human-created works can be registered, Law360 reports.
Stephen Thaler, who filed a petition for certiorari, argued that the government agency “vastly overstepped its authority” by reading a human-authorship requirement that is not explicitly stated in the statute.
Thaler has been trying to register an AI-created image titled A Recent Entrance to Paradise. The image was generated by an AI system that he built and dubbed the “Creativity Machine,” according to Law360.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the Copyright Office’s decision last year, finding that the Copyright Act does not define “author.” However, several provisions indicate that authors must be human, including the premise that an author can transfer ownership interests to spouses or heirs.
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
