Safety and compliance
Copyright and AI-generated text
Can you simply use AI-generated text and images? What to know about copyright, your own input and other people's rights. Not legal advice.
5 min read
AI creates text and images in seconds. But who owns them, and can you just use them? The answer isn't always simple. A few principles help you work sensibly.
General information, not legal advice. Case law on AI and copyright is still developing fast.
Who owns an AI result?
In the EU, copyright protects works that are a human author's own intellectual creation. Text or images generated entirely by AI, without substantial creative input from a person, may therefore not be protected. The more you shape, select, rewrite and combine yourself, the stronger your own contribution.
In practice? If a competitor copies a slogan generated entirely by AI, you may be in a weaker position than with text you wrote yourself.
Other people's rights
- No imitation: don't ask for text "in the style of" that reproduces passages from a known work, or for an image with a well-known character or logo.
- Check quotations: don't let AI reproduce long passages from articles, books or songs.
- The tool's terms: check that your plan allows commercial use of the output.
Honest and responsible
- Use AI as a help, and add your own knowledge and voice.
- Be open about AI use where it's expected or required, such as with realistic images that appear genuine.
- Check what you publish: you're responsible.
Test yourself
How do you strengthen your own rights in a text you created with AI help?
Prompt to copy
Read this text and highlight passages that appear to be copied word for word, or nearly, from existing works, such as well-known quotes, slogans or song lyrics. Also say which parts I'd do well to rewrite with my own examples. Don't give a legal opinion.
[paste the text]
