Supreme Court Blocks AI Art Copyright
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case on AI-generated art copyright, reaffirming that only art with clear human authorship qualifies for protection. This maintains the status quo leaving AI art ineligible for copyright under current U.S. law. Meanwhile, heavy snow destroyed Buckminster Fuller's iconic "Fly's Eye Dome" at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton — one of only five geodesic structures in existence.
The Supreme Court's decision not to hear the copyright case involving AI-generated art solidifies the U.S. Copyright Office's stance that a human author is a prerequisite for copyright protection. The case was brought by computer scientist Stephen Thaler, who sought to copyright an image titled "A Recent Entrance to Paradise," listing his AI system, DABUS, as the creator. This legal battle began in 2018 when Thaler first filed for copyright, and his rejection was upheld by lower courts before reaching the Supreme Court's dismissal. While the ruling prevents AI from being recognized as an author, it leaves the door open for copyrighting art created with AI assistance, provided there is significant human involvement in the creative process. The debate now shifts to defining the necessary level of human input for a work to be copyrightable. The collapsed "Fly's Eye Dome" at LongHouse Reserve was a 33-foot fiberglass structure fabricated in 1997 by John Kuhtig, a student of its original designer, R. Buckminster Fuller. Fuller, who patented the design in 1965, envisioned the domes as easily transportable, affordable housing that could be self-sufficient with solar panels and water collection systems. The destroyed dome was one of only a handful of prototypes ever created. A 12-foot version is owned by architect Norman Foster, a 24-foot prototype was acquired by collector Craig Robins and a new version of it was built in Miami, and a 50-foot dome is part of the collection at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas. The LongHouse Reserve has announced plans to fundraise for the repair or replacement of their iconic structure.
