The Copyright Office released the second part of its Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence (“AI”), with a mix of good and uncertain news.

This past week, the United States Copyright Office released the second part of its Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence (“AI”), which addresses the issue of whether output generated by AI systems can be copyrighted [Part 1, published in 2024, addresses the use of digital technology to replicate a person’s voice or appearance].

The report is based on more than 10,000 responses that the Copyright Office received after issuing a Notice of Inquiry in August 2023 formally asking for public comment on the issue of copyrighting AI-generated material. Comments and responses came from across all 50 U.S. states and 67 countries, from authors, composers, publishers, artists, performers, attorneys, trade groups, and technology companies, among others.

Here are some of the highlight conclusions of the report:

• • Questions of copyright-ability and AI can be…