Delhi HC Directs Copyright Registrar to Decide on AI-Generated Art Application

The Intersection of AI and Authorship

In a case that could redefine authorship in the digital age, the Delhi High Court has ordered the Registrar of Copyrights to expedite a decision regarding an application filed by U.S. researcher Stephen L. Thaler. Thaler is seeking copyright registration for a piece titled 'A Recent Entrance to Paradise', which was entirely generated by an Artificial Intelligence system known as DABUS (Device for the Autonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sentience).

The Copyright Office had previously issued a discrepancy letter, asserting that under the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, only a natural, human person can be recognized as the author of an artistic work. Thaler's legal counsel countered this by invoking Section 2(d)(vi) of the Act, which pertains to computer-generated works, arguing that the law must evolve to recognize AI systems as legitimate authors when works are created without direct human creative input.

Noting that the application has been pending for over four years, the High Court directed the Registrar to hold the scheduled hearing on April 27 and issue a definitive ruling within eight weeks thereafter. The outcome will set a critical precedent for Intellectual Property rights concerning AI innovations in India.