“AI AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN U.S. LAW: AUTHORSHIP, OWNERSHIP, AND THE FAIR USE DEBATE IN MACHINE LEARNING”
Keywords:
Artificial intelligence (AI); Generative AI; Intellectual property law; U.S. Copyright Law; Human authorship; Copyright Office policy; Burrow-Giles v. Sarony; Thaler v. Perlmutter; Machine learning; Fair use doctrine; Training data; Creative industries; AI-generated content; Originality requirement; Public domain; Transformative use; Innovation policy; Data scraping; Copyright infringement; AI regulation.Abstract
As generative artificial intelligence (AI) becomes integrated into creative, commercial, and technical workflows, longstanding assumptions in U.S. copyright law face unprecedented pressure. Two questions dominate contemporary debate: (1) Who owns AI-generated outputs and (2) Do AI companies infringe copyright when they train models on publicly available or copyrighted data? Although courts, agencies, and industry actors are racing to establish clarity, the legal landscape remains unsettled. This Article explains current doctrine, analyzes emerging case law, and identifies the likely direction of U.S. IP policy. It concludes with practical guidance for creators, businesses, and policymakers.
References
1. Burrow-Giles Lithographic Co. v. Sarony, 111 U.S. 53 (1884).
2. Thaler v. Perlmutter, 1:22-cv-01564 (D.D.C. 2023).
3. U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101–810.
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