Artist Sues U.S. Copyright Office Over Refusal to Register AI-Enhanced Photo

Ankit Sahni, through his business Suryast U.S. Enterprises LLC, has initiated legal action in the Central District of California against the U.S. Copyright Office for denying registration of his AI-enhanced piece titled "Suryast." This artwork merges Sahni's original sunset photograph with aspects of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night," utilizing an application named RAGHAV. In December 2023, the Copyright Office dismissed the application, citing a lack of adequate human contribution. Sahni contends that he provided essential creative input—selecting and capturing the initial photo and opting for the Van Gogh aesthetic—thereby warranting copyright protection. The lawsuit identifies Shira Perlmutter, the Copyright Office Director, as the defendant. This case is considered doctrinally different from Dr. Stephen Thaler's unsuccessful bid to designate an AI as an author, which the Supreme Court chose not to review in March. Additionally, a related lawsuit by artist Jason M. Allen regarding his AI creation "Theatre D'opera Spatial" is still in progress.