In a decision that could have major consequences for Hollywood studios — especially amid the ongoing strikes — a federal judge ruled Friday that AI-generated artwork can't be copyrighted, per The Hollywood Reporter. United States District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell oversaw a lawsuit brought against the U.S. Copyright Office after it refused a copyright to Stephen Thaler for an AI-generated image he made with Creativity Machine, Thaler's own AI system. In the recent ruling, Howell upheld the Copyright Office's decision to reject Thaler's copyright application.
Howell said humans are an "essential part of a valid copyright claim" and "human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright." She also cited past cases, including the famous "monkey selfie" case, in which photographer David Slater was sued for claiming copyright on an image a crested macaque took with Slater's camera.
