Clarifies that content generated by artificial intelligence without significant creative contribution from a human is ineligible for U.S. copyright protection.
Analysis summaries, actor details, and coverage mappings were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
This is a binding policy statement from a federal regulatory agency (U.S. Copyright Office) that establishes mandatory requirements for copyright registration applications and has enforcement mechanisms including registration cancellation and loss of legal benefits.
The document has minimal coverage of risk domains, primarily addressing intellectual property and creative work attribution issues rather than AI safety or harm prevention. It touches on authorship and human creative control (related to 5.2 and 6.3) but does not substantively address the risks described in most MIT taxonomy subdomains.
This document governs copyright registration practices across multiple creative and information sectors. It has strongest coverage of Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation; Information (publishing, media); and Professional and Technical Services. The guidance applies to any sector where copyright registration is sought for works containing AI-generated content.
The document does not focus on AI development lifecycle stages but rather on the registration and legal treatment of outputs from AI systems. It addresses the use and deployment of AI-generated content in creative works, particularly concerning copyright registration requirements. The document is output-focused rather than development-focused.
The document explicitly mentions AI technology, AI-generated material, and generative AI. It discusses AI systems that generate textual, visual, and audio content. It does not use specific technical terms like 'AI models,' 'foundation models,' or 'compute thresholds,' but focuses on the functional capabilities of AI technologies to generate creative content.
U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress; Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter
The document is issued by the U.S. Copyright Office as a statement of policy, signed by the Register of Copyrights. The Office is explicitly identified as the federal agency tasked with administering the copyright registration system.
U.S. Copyright Office; Register of Copyrights; Federal courts
The Copyright Office has authority to examine applications, deny registrations, cancel registrations, and enforce disclosure requirements. Federal courts also have enforcement authority under section 411(b) of the Copyright Act.
U.S. Copyright Office; Copyright Office examiners; Copyright Office's Review Board; Copyright Office's Public Information Office
The Copyright Office monitors and reviews copyright applications, examines claims for compliance, and tracks developments in AI and copyright. The Office has examination staff and a Review Board that reviews appeals.
Copyright applicants; individuals who use AI technology in creating works; visual artists; musical artists; authors; AI technology users seeking copyright registration
The policy applies to anyone seeking to register works containing AI-generated material with the Copyright Office, including artists, authors, and other creators who use AI tools. It specifically addresses 'Individuals who use AI technology in creating a work' and various types of creators.
2 subdomains (2 Minimal)