Authorship and AI generated work: a new approach to copyright protection and ownership

Abstract

The evolution of safeguarding copyright, initially commenced with the emergence of printing technology during the 16th century, has encountered a new set of difficulties with the innovation and growth of 21st-century technology. The protection and implementation of copyright standards are based on laws that have been established through legislation. This article argued that creative works generated by artificial intelligence are original and should be granted copyright protection. The development of Artificial Intelligence is a significant and influential technological advancement that has facilitated the emergence and integration of unprecedented and distinct creativity. The productivity of AI is experiencing a significant surge across various domains. The relationship between ownership and copyright protection for work created by AI was examined in order to explore the rationale behind granting copyright protection to such works. The current difficulties related to digital copyright and possible future advancements are analyzed. A proposed model of hybrid ownership suggests granting legal identity to the AI system, its programmer, user, and company, all encompassed in a legal entity named artificial personality (AiLE). This article recommended that legal modifications are necessary to handle and establish a new basis for safeguarding copyrights and possessing original works created by AI in Nigeria and other jurisdictions.