Artist Jason M. Allen asked a Colorado federal court on Thursday to reverse a U.S. Copyright Office decision that rejected copyright protection for an award-winning image he created with artificial intelligence.

Allen said in a lawsuit, opens new tab that he should receive a copyright for his image "Theatre D'opera Spatial" because it was an expression of his creativity.

A spokesperson for the Copyright Office declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Allen said in a statement that the office's decision "put me in a terrible position, with no recourse against others who are blatantly and repeatedly stealing my work."

Allen applied in 2022 for a copyright registration covering "Theatre D'opera Spatial," an image evoking a futuristic royal court that won the Colorado State Fair's art competition that year.