Can You Copyright AI Art? Here's What the Law Says in 2025

Introduction

AI-generated art is everywhere—from viral images on social media to artworks winning competitions. But one major question is still confusing artists, designers, and digital creators:

Can you copyright AI art?

In this guide, we’ll break down the legal landscape of AI-generated art in 2025 and explain how CertifyRights helps you protect your work—whether it's fully original, AI-assisted, or fully AI-generated.

What Is AI-Generated Art?

AI-generated art refers to any image, video, or visual content created using artificial intelligence tools like DALL·E, MidJourney, or Stable Diffusion.

There are three common scenarios:

1. Fully AI-generated: You type a prompt and the AI does all the creative work.
2. AI-assisted: You edit or remix what the AI gives you.
3. Human-AI hybrid: You combine your own design with AI outputs.

Each of these has different copyright implications.

Can You Copyright Fully AI-Generated Art?

Short answer: Not really.

According to the U.S. Copyright Office (and many global IP offices):

“Works that are not the product of human authorship are not eligible for copyright.”

That means purely machine-generated images with no human creativity or input beyond the text prompt cannot be copyrighted.

Example:

If you generate a landscape in MidJourney with the prompt “sunset over Tokyo in anime style” and don’t touch it—you can’t claim copyright.

Can You Copyright AI-Assisted Art?

Short answer: Yes, with conditions.

If you add creative input, such as:

• Editing the AI output in Photoshop
• Combining multiple AI images into a collage
• Painting over AI images or using them as references

...then your final result may qualify for copyright, because your own creativity is involved.

In these cases, you’re seen as the human author—and copyright may apply.

So Who Owns AI Art?

How CertifyRights Helps

Even if you can't register your AI art with the government, you can still protect it and prove authorship using CertifyRights.

• Timestamp and certify your artwork (including prompt, process, edits)
• Show creative input to strengthen your legal claim
• Track and prove originality in disputes or takedowns
• Document your ownership history even if copyright laws evolve

CertifyRights gives you a digital certificate of ownership—like an NFT but without the crypto complexity.

What About Infringement? Can AI Art Violate Copyright?

Yes. Even if your artwork is AI-generated, it can still infringe on someone else’s copyrighted work if:

• You use prompts like “in the style of Van Gogh” and the output is too similar
• The AI tool was trained on copyrighted images without permission
• You remix or reference existing copyrighted characters or logos

Always double-check the training data and license of the AI tools you use.

Quick FAQ

Can I sell AI art?
Yes—but make sure you follow the tool's license and don’t misrepresent it as copyrighted if it’s fully AI-made.

Should I credit the AI tool?
Ethically yes, legally optional—but it can help clarify authorship.

What if someone copies my AI art?
If you edited or transformed it significantly and certified it on CertifyRights, you can prove prior creation and assert ownership.

Final Thoughts

AI is changing how we create, but copyright laws are still catching up. The safest move as an artist?

Mix your creativity with AI and use tools like CertifyRights to protect and prove what’s yours.

You may not be able to copyright the AI’s imagination—but you can absolutely copyright your own.

Ready to Protect Your AI Art?

Visit CertifyRights.com and upload your artwork to receive your digital certificate of ownership today.