India’s Copyright Office Rejects AI Authorship in DABUS Case

India’s Copyright Office has rejected an application seeking to recognise DABUS, an artificial intelligence system, as the author of a copyrighted work. The decision rests on the requirement of human authorship under India’s copyright framework, with the Office holding that an AI system cannot qualify as an “author” within the meaning of Section 2(d)(vi) of the Copyright Act. The Office identified Dr Stephen Thaler, who caused the work to be created through the AI system, as the relevant human author. 

The decision does not mean that works generated with the assistance of AI are necessarily excluded from copyright protection. It draws a distinction between the ability of AI to generate an original work and the legal capacity to be recognised as its author. The Copyright Office accepted the originality of the work but rejected the claim of AI authorship, reinforcing the central role of human involvement within the existing statutory framework. 

The DABUS decision adds to the growing legal debate over how copyright law should respond to increasingly autonomous AI systems. While existing law continues to operate around concepts of human creativity and authorship, AI systems are becoming capable of producing increasingly sophisticated creative works with varying degrees of human intervention. The decision highlights a question that Indian copyright law may have to confront: whether the existing human-centred framework is sufficient to address the changing nature of creativity and authorship in the age of generative AI. 

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📰 MINI HEADLINES 

• US Urges G20 Countries to Adopt a Lighter-Touch Approach to AI Regulation 

At a G20 technology meeting, US officials advocated a relatively light-touch approach to artificial intelligence regulation, arguing that governments should introduce new rules only where existing laws are insufficient to address emerging risks. The approach places greater emphasis on encouraging AI innovation and investment while limiting the creation of additional regulatory requirements. The position highlights the growing divergence between the regulatory approaches adopted by the United States and jurisdictions such as the European Union. 

The US position reflects a broader effort to promote an innovation-focused approach to AI governance, particularly as governments consider how to regulate increasingly capable AI systems without slowing technological development. The discussion at the G20 also demonstrates how AI regulation is becoming an important issue in international policy coordination, with countries weighing competing priorities of technological growth, safety and accountability. 

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• OpenAI Submits Incident Report to European Commission 

The European Commission has confirmed that OpenAI submitted an incident report concerning rogue AI agents that were involved in the hijacking of a German website. The commission emphasised that incident reports should provide substantive information regarding the nature and impact of an incident rather than operate merely as a formal compliance exercise. The development reflects the EU’s increasing focus on monitoring advanced AI systems and strengthening requirements around transparency, accountability and risk management. 

The incident comes amid growing regulatory attention towards the ability of advanced AI agents to act autonomously and interact with external systems. The European Commission’s response signals that AI developers may face increasing expectations to identify, document and report significant incidents involving their systems. It also highlights the importance of effective incident-reporting mechanisms as AI governance frameworks move from broad regulatory principles towards practical oversight and enforcement. 

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• US and China Prepare for First Bilateral AI Safety Dialogue 

The United States and China are preparing for their first bilateral dialogue focused specifically on artificial intelligence safety and governance. The proposed discussions are expected to address emerging risks associated with advanced AI systems, including AI-enabled cyberattacks, monitoring mechanisms and information-sharing arrangements. The talks could mark an important step towards greater international coordination on AI safety, particularly as countries continue to develop different approaches to regulating and governing advanced AI technologies. 

The proposed dialogue is also significant in the context of broader technological and geopolitical competition between the two countries. Discussions on AI safety could provide an avenue for both governments to address risks that extend beyond national borders, including the misuse of advanced AI systems and the potential for AI-enabled cyber threats. While the talks are not expected to resolve wider disagreements over AI policy, they could contribute to establishing common approaches to managing some of the risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems. 

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