Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Stephen Thaler v. Shira Perlmutter, Register of Copyrights and Director of the United States Copyright Office, et al.
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, No. 23-5233 · judgment March 18, 2025
Certiorari denied · March 2, 2026
Pre-decision estimate: 2% cert probability
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Question presented
- Whether works outputted by an AI system without a direct, traditional authorial contribution by a natural person can be copyrighted.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Ryan Benjamin Abbott
Brown, Neri, Smith and Khan, LLP
For respondent
D. John Sauer
Solicitor General
Proceedings
- Mar 08 2026Amicus brief of Lea Bishop submitted.
- Mar 02 2026Petition DENIED.
- Feb 11 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/27/2026.
- Feb 09 2026Reply of petitioner Stephen Thaler filed. (Distributed)
- Jan 26 2026Amicus brief of Lea Bishop not accepted for filing. (February 6, 2026)
- Jan 23 2026Brief of Federal Respondents in opposition filed.
- Dec 19 2025Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including January 26, 2026.
- Dec 18 2025Motion to extend the time to file a response from December 26, 2025 to January 26, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
- Nov 26 2025Response Requested. (Due December 26, 2025)
- Nov 25 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/12/2025.
- Nov 12 2025Brief amici curiae of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, et al. filed.
- Oct 31 2025Amicus brief of Professor Shlomit Yanisky-Ravid, et al. not accepted for filing. (To be corrected - November 5, 2025)
- Oct 31 2025Brief amici curiae of Professor Shlomit Yanisky-Ravid, et al. filed. (Corrected)
- Oct 31 2025Letter from counsel for petitioner received.
- Oct 28 2025Waiver of right of respondent Federal Respondents to respond filed.
- Oct 09 2025Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 13, 2025)
- Jul 23 2025Application (25A82) granted by The Chief Justice extending the time to file until October 9, 2025.
- Jul 17 2025Application (25A82) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from August 10, 2025 to October 9, 2025, submitted to The Chief Justice.