JCM 4/15/2026 10:16:20 AM

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This monkey selfie will protect you from AI slop

What happens when something that isn't human makes art? A series of bizarre court battles trying to answer that question centred around this image. Ultimately, it will influence what ends up on your screens and headphones forever.

Current status comes down to this.

In March, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, preserving a lower court ruling in favour of the Copyright Office. If AI creates something, no one can own it. Not the AI, the company running the AI nor the person who used it.

The corollary I see has been long settled, I think, if I create something on company time, using company resources the company owns it.

If I build an AI own the AI, and it creates something shouldn't I own that output base on the above precedent?
It gets murkier if I use Google's AI and instruct it do something... that more akin to the company example... I think? Except Google isn't paying for the inputs like a company pays me to work. Is ownership then shared?

Occasional Reader 4/15/2026 1:38:05 PM

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Happy Tax Day, y’all.

🤪

Kosh's Shadow 4/15/2026 4:30:24 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 2:

Met with accountant last Monday; refunds on Thursday.

(Took weeks to put together all the documents but got them there a month earlier)

Occasional Reader 4/15/2026 6:02:30 PM

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Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 3:

Foe me, the good news was, I made more money last year, by significant amount, than I’ve ever before. The bad news was, good God, what I owe in taxes. 

Kosh's Shadow 4/15/2026 6:22:30 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 4:

My taxes were messed up by retiring. E*Trade is AssholeTrade - they knew I was transferring from an IRA there to another qualified IRA but sent out a 1099R saying it was taxable. I have documentation  it was deposited in around 10 days, way lower than the 60 required. So extra work for the accountant.

Decided someone we use at Northwestern Mutual is better at investing than I am (not hard) so moved everything there