Bipartisan members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Peter Welch (D-VT), have introduced the “Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act of 2025” (“VACRA”), a bill aimed at streamlining the copyright registration process for visual artists.[1] The bill answers concerns expressed by commercial photographers and other
Continue Reading Easy Does It: Copyright Registration Reform Under the Proposed Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act of 2025
On May 9, 2025, the U.S. Copyright Office released a “pre-publication” version of Part Three of its planned reports on the intersection between copyright and generative artificial intelligence (“AI”). Titled “Part 3: Generative AI Training,” the Report addresses whether AI companies may use copyrighted material to train their product. Part
Continue Reading Sneak Peek: Copyright Office Releases Pre-Publication Version of Third Report on Generative AI
Previously on this blog, we reported on Miley Cyrus’s motion to dismiss a copyright infringement action against her and several co-defendants over the song “Flowers.”[1] On March 18, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied the pop star’s motion, holding that, under the Copyright
Continue Reading Stand and Deliver: Another Try at Co-Owner Standing in Copyright Cases in the Ninth Circuit
On February 11, 2025, a U.S. District Court in Delaware issued a decision of first impression finding that a technology startup’s use of copyrighted materials to train its artificial intelligence platform infringed the copyright holder’s rights and did not constitute fair use.[1] The Delaware District Court is the
Continue Reading Those Who Teach, Can’t: U.S. District Court in Delaware Issues Decision of First Impression, Finding Use of Copyrighted Materials to Train Artificial Intelligence Constitutes Infringement, Not Fair Use
On January 29, 2025, the U.S. Copyright Office released Part Two of its planned reports on the intersection between copyright and generative Artificial Intelligence (“AI”). Titled “Part 2: Copyrightability,” the Report addresses a hot issue—the extent to which AI-generated outputs are entitled to copyright protection. The Report, after examining the
Continue Reading Copyright Office Issues Second Report on Generative AI: Copyright Protection Requires Human Authorship, But What Does That Mean For Generative AI?
A lawsuit pending before Judge J. Paul Oetken of the District Court for the Southern District of New York may soon underscore the need to rethink the legal remedies available for potential legal violations aided by generative Artificial Intelligence (“AI”).[1] As discussed previously on this blog, in July
Continue Reading Lehrman v. Lovo, Inc.: Voice Actors Take on AI Voice Generation
The recent copyright law landscape is rife with infringement lawsuits alleging that one song substantially copied the musical elements of another. As a music industry norm, songwriters frequently split the copyright of a single song with one or more co-authors, each owning exclusive rights in their respective shares of the
Continue Reading Miley Cyrus Can Buy Herself “Flowers,” but Can She Dismiss a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit?—A Look at the Ninth Circuit’s Approach to Co-Owner Standing
On December 16, 2024, Shira Perlmutter, head of the U.S. Copyright Office,[1] provided the relevant subcommittees of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees with an update on the Copyright Office’s ambitious investigation into the intersection of generative Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and copyright law and policy.[2]
In August 2023
Continue Reading Copyright Office Delays Remaining Generative AI Report
On August 16, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s legal victory in the copyright lawsuit fellow artist Joe Morford brought against him alleging that Comedian (2019), Cattelan’s famous duct-taped banana installation at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, infringed on
Continue Reading Affirmed on A-Peel: Following the Eleventh Circuit’s Affirmance of Maurizio Cattelan’s Defeat of Copyright Infringement Suit Over His Duct-Taped Banana, the Work May Soon Fetch More than $1 Million at Auction
On July 31, 2024, the U.S. Copyright Office issued the first of several planned reports on the intersection between copyright and generative Artificial Intelligence (“AI”), following a lengthy period of public comment, during which it received more than 10,300 comments, discussed previously on this blog. Titled “Part 1: Digital Replicas,”
Continue Reading Copyright Office Issues First Report on Generative AI