Artist Sues Copyright Office Over its Refusal to Register His AI-Enhanced Photo
Ankit Sahni is suing the U.S. Copyright Office after his request to register an AI-enhanced image was denied. The Copyright Office claimed there was insufficient human involvement in the creation of the artwork. Sahni argues that he provided essential creative elements and decisions that qualify for copyright protection.
- ▪Ankit Sahni's artwork combines his original photograph with Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night.
- ▪The Copyright Office rejected Sahni's application, stating there was not enough human involvement.
- ▪Sahni's lawsuit challenges the decision, claiming he supplied the baseline creative elements.
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Artist Sues Copyright Office Over its Refusal to Register His AI-Enhanced Photo May 23, 2026 Matt Growcoot Ankit Sahni’s original photograph (left), Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night (center), and the final AI-enhanced image (right). After having his registration request rejected by the U.S. Copyright Office, the author of an image that combined a photograph with Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night is suing. freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "PetaPixel_728x90_ATF_Desktop", slotId: "PetaPixel_728x90_ATF_Desktop" }); freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "PetaPixel_300x600_300x250_320x50_Mobile", slotId: "PetaPixel_300x600_300x250_320x50_Mobile" }); PetaPixel reported back in December 2023 that the Copyright Office had rejected Ankit Sahni’s bid to have his artwork…
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