US Supreme Court rejects bid to grant copyright for AI artwork

The United States Supreme Court has formally declined to review a landmark case concerning the copyrightability of artificial intelligence-generated artwork, effectively solidifying the requirement for human authorship.

On 2 March 2026, the court denied a petition for certiorari from computer scientist Stephen Thaler, who sought to register a copyright for an image titled "A Recent Entrance to Paradise."

Thaler argued that his AI system, DABUS, was the sole creator and that denying it protection would have a "chilling effect" on technological innovation.

However, the refusal to hear the appeal leaves intact a 2025 ruling by the DC Circuit Court, which confirmed that copyright law only protects works created by human beings.

The US Copyright Office has maintained a consistent stance, asserting that "human authorship is a bedrock requirement" of the Copyright Act.

While the office released updated guidance in early 2026, it clarified that simple text prompting does not offer a user enough control to be considered an "author."

Instead, protection is only granted to "hybrid works" where human creativity—such as significant editing or creative arrangement—is clearly perceptible.

This decision has profound implications for the technology and entertainment sectors, as purely AI-generated movies, music, and books will now reside in the public domain, making them ineligible for exclusive commercial monetisation.

The legal battle over ownership continues to evolve internationally, with recent petitions filed by Thaler in the Delhi High Court as of April 2026.

Meanwhile, the UK continues to uniquely recognise certain machine-generated works under its specific 1988 legislative framework.