Advanced · Ethics and society · module 148 of 155
Copyright and ownership of AI texts and code
Know what you may do with texts, images and code that AI makes, and with the material you enter yourself.
After this lesson
You know the basic copyright rules for AI output and input, read a tool’s terms and know when to ask for legal advice.
In view · How it connects
Rights for AI input and output
Protected if it contains your own creative choices; read the tool’s terms.
Other people’s work remains protected; use what you are allowed to use.
Check licences, cite sources and ask a lawyer if in doubt.
Part 1 of 3 · Output
Your preference for less movement is on. Choose each part yourself.
Who owns AI output?
In the European Union, copyright protects works that are a human being’s own intellectual creation. A text or image made entirely by AI, without human creative choices, may therefore not be protected. The more you choose, edit and compile yourself, the greater the chance that the end result is protected. Exactly where the line lies has not yet been fully settled and differs from case to case. Also read your tool’s terms: they say what you may do with the output.
What you enter has rights too
A book, an article, a photo or code by someone else remains protected if you paste it into an AI tool. Read the licence or the terms before you have such material edited, translated or summarised, especially if the result will be published. If in doubt, ask permission. In the EU, creators can indicate that they do not want their online work to be used for text and data mining; that choice plays a role in the training of models. In an organisation, only use material for which your organisation holds the rights.
Code, quotations and honest attribution
AI code can closely resemble existing code under a licence that sets conditions, for example that you must then make your own code public too. For important projects you check this, or you use tools that flag such similarities (lesson 142). Cite sources as you would without AI. Schools and training courses have their own rules on disclosing AI use (lesson 132). This lesson is not legal advice: for commercial publications or if in doubt, ask a lawyer.
New practice example
From explanation to a usable result.
AI output is not always protected, and what you put in still belongs to its creator. Read the terms and, if in doubt, ask for permission or advice.
Fictional practice situationFictional: an association wants to make a leaflet. A volunteer has AI write a text based on an article from a magazine, and make an image in the style of that magazine’s cover.
View a possible solution
This is how it can be done
The text becomes an original text based on the facts, with a source reference and without copying long passages. For the image, I choose my own style, not that of the cover. If in doubt, I ask the magazine for permission, or leave it out.
Why this works
You may use facts, but you may not simply take someone else’s wording and design. Your own approach avoids the problem.
Make it slightly more difficult
Find the licence of an image you want to use online. What may you do with it, and what must you credit?
Extra practice, at your own pace. You do not need to submit anything. This does not count towards an automatic assessment.
Your workplace · learning by doing
Make something. See what changes.
Checking the AI connection… You can already view the written example.
Present your assignment to Ende.
Read the answer, change one thing, and compare.
Previously held
New version
You remain in control
What do you want to improve in your next attempt?
On this device only. AI answers remain only in this page memory. This is self-review, not a grade.
Why this approach works
You may use facts, but you may not simply take someone else’s wording and design. Your own approach avoids the problem.
A step further
Find the licence of an image you want to use online. What may you do with it, and what must you credit?
Try & discover · no obligation
Become the source checker yourself
Only mark statements that the source does not support. Then check your selection.
Fictional statements in a team that uses AI for texts, images and code. This is an exercise, not legal advice.
Select which sentences you would correct above. The answer remains hidden until you check your selection.
This trial works locally with fictitious data and does not count towards your lesson completion. It starts anew with a new lesson or reload.
A prompt to get you started
Help me make a checklist for a fictional communications team that uses AI for texts, images and small scripts. Include points on the tool’s terms, third-party material we enter, disclosing AI use, code licences and when we consult a lawyer. Do not give legal advice; mark what we need to check.
Apply it
A web designer uses AI code in a website for a client. Part of the code almost literally matches an open-source project with a licence that sets conditions.
Which approach best fits this situation?
- Do nothing; the AI wrote the code.
- Check what conditions the licence sets, credit or replace the code where necessary and discuss it with the client.
- Rename the variables so the similarity is less noticeable.
With JavaScript, you can check your approach and receive immediate feedback.
Test your insight
A colleague wants to have an entire book by another author rewritten by AI and sell the result as their own work. What is the problem?
- There is no problem, because AI rewrote the text.
- The book remains protected; a rewrite without permission can infringe the author’s copyright.
- Only the title needs to change.
Extra practice
Look up in the terms of an AI tool you use what you may do with the output and what the provider does with your input. Note two sentences that surprised you.
Checklist: 1) the tool’s terms allow commercial use; 2) we only enter material for which we hold the rights or for which we received permission; 3) when publishing, we disclose AI use according to our policy; 4) we have scripts for clients checked for similarities with licensed code; 5) if in doubt about a publication, we ask the lawyer. To check: may we have photos from partners edited?
