麻豆影视

Skip to main content

AI-generated art cannot receive copyrights, U.S. court says

Share

 A work of art created by artificial intelligence without any human input cannot be copyrighted under United States law, a U.S. court in Washington, D.C., has ruled.

Only works with human authors can receive copyrights, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said on Friday, affirming the U.S. Copyright Office's rejection of an application filed by computer scientist Stephen Thaler on behalf of his DABUS system.

The Friday decision follows losses for Thaler on bids for U.S. patents covering inventions he said were created by DABUS, short for Device for the Autonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sentience.

Thaler has also applied for DABUS-generated patents in other countries including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and Saudi Arabia with limited success.

Thaler's attorney Ryan Abbott said on Monday that he and his client strongly disagree with the decision and will appeal. The Copyright Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

The fast-growing field of generative AI has raised novel intellectual property issues. The Copyright Office has also rejected an artist's bid for copyrights on images generated through the AI system Midjourney, despite the artist's argument that the system was part of their creative process.

Several pending lawsuits have also been filed over the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI without permission.

"We are approaching new frontiers in copyright as artists put AI in their toolbox," which will raise "challenging questions" for copyright law, Howell wrote on Friday.

"This case, however, is not nearly so complex," Howell said.

Thaler applied in 2018 for a copyright covering "A Recent Entrance to Paradise," a piece of visual art that he said was created by his AI system without any human input. The office rejected the application last year and said creative works must have human authors to be copyrightable.

Thaler challenged the decision in federal court, arguing that human authorship is not a concrete legal requirement and allowing AI copyrights would be in line with copyright's purpose as outlined in the U.S. constitution to "promote the progress of science and useful arts."

Howell agreed with the Copyright Office and said human authorship is a "bedrock requirement of copyright" based on "centuries of settled understanding." (Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Conor Humphries)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

opinion

opinion How to transition from renting to owning a home in Canada

In his column for CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew offers a step-by-step guide on how to make the shift from renting to becoming a homeowner, and what you can start doing today to help the process go smoother.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.