Week 17: Copyright and Responsible Creation

 

Welcome to Week 17 of the AI Literacy Course.

Imagine creating a short video using:

• a photograph found online;

• music from a streaming service;

• an AI-generated voice;

• text paraphrased by an AI tool;

• your own editing and narration.

You may have access to every component, but that does not mean you have permission to upload, adapt, or publish all of them.

Responsible creation begins before generating content and continues until the final publication decision.

The central rule is:

List every component, define the intended use, show the ground for use, credit and disclose honestly, and publish only when the evidence supports the decision.

Learning goals

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• distinguish ideas and facts from protected expression;

• distinguish access, ownership, permission, and licence conditions;

• identify the different rights that may affect a creative product;

• apply Creative Commons conditions;

• check material before uploading it to an AI tool;

• distinguish attribution, plagiarism, and AI disclosure;

• document human creative choices;

• make a responsible publication decision.

1. Separate the questions

A creative project may involve several different questions.

Copyright

Copyright may protect original literary and artistic expression, including:

• text;

• photographs;

• illustrations;

• music;

• film;

• software;

• recorded performances;

• other creative works.

Copyright generally protects the expression of an idea, not the idea or fact by itself.

You may discuss a theory from a book. That does not automatically permit you to copy and publish the book’s wording.

Licence or permission

A licence or direct permission explains how someone else’s protected material may be used.

It may allow some uses but not others.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism means presenting another person’s words, ideas, structure, or work as your own. It is mainly an academic and ethical issue, although the same action may also involve copyright.

AI disclosure

AI disclosure explains how an AI tool contributed to the work. It does not replace attribution or permission.

Other rights and responsibilities

A project may also involve:

• trademarks and logos;

• privacy and personal data;

• faces, voices, or likenesses;

• confidentiality;

• contractual rules;

• platform terms;

• organisational policy.

These questions overlap, but they are not interchangeable.

2. Ideas, facts, and expression

Imagine reading that Stockholm was founded in the thirteenth century.

The historical fact is not owned by the author who reported it. However, the author’s particular explanation, wording, structure, photograph, or illustration may be protected.

Ask:

What expression am I using—not merely what idea or fact?

Changing a few words does not automatically create independent expression. Copying the structure and argument of a source while replacing synonyms may still create copyright, plagiarism, or academic-integrity concerns.

3. Access is not permission

Being able to open, buy, borrow, stream, copy, or download something does not necessarily permit reuse.

For example:

• Buying a book does not transfer its copyright.

• Streaming music does not normally give permission to add it to a public video.

• Paying for a stock photograph gives only the uses described in the licence.

• Finding an image through a search engine does not create permission.

• Access through a school or library does not automatically permit uploading the material to an AI service.

Remember:

“I found it online” is not a licence.

The same applies to AI:

A tool’s ability to accept a file does not prove that you may upload it.

4. List every component

A multimedia product can contain several separately protected elements.

A video might include:

• a script;

• music composition;

• sound recording;

• photograph;

• illustration;

• video clip;

• performance;

• logo;

• person’s face or voice;

• subtitles;

• AI-generated image;

• AI-generated narration;

• your own selection, editing, and arrangement.

Permission for one element does not clear every other element.

Create a component inventory before producing or publishing the work.

Component	Creator or source	Intended use	Ground for use	Conditions
Photograph	Named photographer	Public video	CC BY 4.0	Credit, licence link, changes
Music	Commercial library	Public video	Paid licence	Platform and audience limits
Script	Learner	Public video	Own work	Check sources and AI use
AI voice	AI service	Public video	Tool terms	Disclosure and impersonation check

The inventory should include reference material uploaded to an AI tool, even if it does not appear directly in the final product.

5. Define the intended use

Permission depends partly on what you plan to do.

Ask whether the product will be:

• used privately;

• shown in a classroom;

• submitted for assessment;

• posted publicly;

• adapted or remixed;

• uploaded to a platform;

• included in advertising;

• sold or used commercially;

• distributed to a large audience.

A licence that allows classroom display may not permit public posting. A licence that permits distribution may not permit adaptation.

Define the intended use before choosing the material.

6. Find the ground for use

Every important component needs a traceable reason why it may be used.

Possible grounds include:

Your own work

You created the material and have not transferred the relevant rights or included someone else’s protected material without permission.

Direct permission

The rights holder gave permission for the intended use.

Keep evidence of what was permitted, by whom, and under which conditions.

Licence

A licence permits particular uses under stated terms.

Read the actual licence rather than relying only on a label, icon, or description copied to another website.

Public domain

A work may be in the public domain because its economic copyright has expired or because an appropriate public-domain tool was applied.

“Free online” and “public domain” do not mean the same thing. Other rights, attribution expectations, or restrictions may still need consideration.

Legal exception or limitation

Law may permit certain quotation, teaching, reporting, or other uses under specific conditions.

An exception is not unlimited permission. Classroom use does not automatically allow full copying, AI uploads, or public publication.

If the decision exceeds your role or knowledge, ask a responsible or legally competent person.

Organisational approval

A school or employer may approve particular tools, services, materials, and workflows.

Organisational approval does not create copyright permission that the organisation does not possess. Both the rights position and local rules must be satisfied.

7. Understand Creative Commons conditions

Creative Commons licences allow creators and rights holders to give the public advance permission for particular uses.

Common licence elements include:

• BY — Attribution: give appropriate credit.

• SA — ShareAlike: distribute adaptations under the required same or compatible licence.

• NC — NonCommercial: use the material only for purposes permitted by the licence’s noncommercial condition.

• ND — NoDerivatives: distribute the material only in unadapted form.

The elements are combined in different licences.

CC BY

You may generally copy, share, and adapt the work, including commercially, if you follow the attribution requirements.

CC BY-SA

You may adapt the work, but an adaptation must be shared under the required same or compatible licence.

CC BY-NC

You may use and adapt the work only for qualifying noncommercial purposes and must provide attribution.

“Noncommercial” does not simply mean that you personally received no money. Check the licence and intended use carefully.

CC BY-ND

You may share the work with attribution, including commercially, but you may not distribute an adapted version.

Uploading an ND work to an AI tool for transformation may therefore be unsuitable, even if you could share the unchanged original.

8. Use TASL for Creative Commons attribution

A helpful attribution method is TASL:

• T — Title, when available;

• A — Author or creator;

• S — Source, normally with a link;

• L — Licence, normally with a link.

Also indicate whether you changed the material.

Example:

“Harbour at Dawn” by Lina Example, from Example Archive, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cropped and colour-adjusted.

Exact requirements depend on the licence version and the information supplied by the licensor. TASL is a reliable practical method, but you should still check the particular licence.

Attribution does not replace permission.

Writing “Credit to the original creator” does not make an unauthorised use lawful.

9. Check whether other rights are involved

A copyright licence may not resolve every issue.

A photograph may include:

• a recognisable person;

• a protected logo;

• another artwork;

• private information;

• confidential material;

• a location with separate rules.

Different elements may raise different questions:

• Text, images, music, film, and code: copyright.

• Names and logos: trademarks or other brand rules.

• Faces and voices: privacy, personal data, consent, impersonation, or related rights.

• Confidential documents: contractual, workplace, or confidentiality obligations.

Apply the privacy and A–P–K checks from Lesson 15 when people are identifiable.

10. Check AI inputs before uploading

AI inputs may include:

• protected text;

• photographs;

• music;

• film;

• code;

• characters;

• logos;

• voices;

• faces and likenesses;

• datasets;

• reference files.

Before uploading, ask:

1. Do I have a valid ground for using this material?

2. Does that ground cover uploading it to this AI service?

3. Will the service retain or reuse the material?

4. Do the platform terms allow this input and intended output use?

5. Does the material contain personal or confidential information?

6. Could I achieve the purpose using my own, public-domain, or clearly licensed material?

Use teacher-provided material only when it is explicitly approved for the activity and tool.

A temporary upload is still an upload.

11. AI outputs remain uncertain

An AI-generated output is not automatically:

• protected by copyright;

• copyright-free;

• unique;

• non-infringing;

• safe to publish;

• owned by the user.

Separate three questions:

1. Does copyright protect the output?

2. If protection exists, who holds the relevant rights?

3. What contractual permission do the AI tool’s terms give the user?

Current EU law does not provide a simple rule defining exactly how much human involvement makes AI-assisted output copyright-protected. Human creative choices remain important, but effort or prompt length alone does not guarantee protection.

Document meaningful human contribution, such as:

• defining the purpose;

• researching sources;

• selecting material;

• developing the structure;

• making creative arrangements;

• rewriting and editing;

• rejecting unsuitable outputs;

• verifying claims;

• adding an individual voice;

• making the final publication decision.

A tool’s terms may permit you to use an output without guaranteeing that the output is copyright-protected or does not affect another person’s rights.

12. Check for resemblance without claiming certainty

An output may contain or closely resemble:

• protected characters;

• recognisable artworks;

• distinctive passages;

• logos;

• existing music;

• identifiable people;

• a creator’s particular work.

Perform a reasonable source and resemblance check before publication.

Possible methods include:

• searching distinctive phrases;

• using reverse image search;

• checking recognisable characters and logos;

• comparing an output with supplied reference files;

• reviewing whether the result appears unusually close to a known work.

These checks can reveal concerns. They cannot guarantee that no protected material is involved.

If resemblance remains concerning, revise, replace the component, seek advice, or do not publish it.

13. Style prompts require ethical judgment

A broad creative direction may describe:

• medium;

• historical era;

• mood;

• colour palette;

• lighting;

• composition;

• genre;

• general technique.

This differs from asking an AI system to imitate a living creator’s recognisable signature style by name.

A broad style is not the same as a specific protected work. However, an output may still copy recognisable expression, misuse a creator’s name, mislead audiences, or create reputational and economic concerns.

For this course:

Do not prompt an AI tool to imitate a living creator by name. Describe the qualities you need instead.

For example, replace:

“Make this in the style of living artist X.”

with:

“Use bold geometric shapes, high colour contrast, a limited palette, and a screen-printed texture.”

This is a responsible course rule, not a claim that every reference to artistic style has the same legal status.

14. Attribution and AI disclosure have different purposes

Attribution

Attribution identifies human creators and sources. It may be required by:

• a licence;

• academic rules;

• professional standards;

• ethical practice.

AI disclosure

AI disclosure explains how an AI tool contributed.

A useful disclosure may include:

• tool used;

• purpose of use;

• content generated or transformed;

• important human edits;

• verification performed;

• person responsible for the final result.

Example:

“The initial illustration was generated with [tool]. I selected the composition, replaced the text, corrected factual details, adjusted the colours, and made the final publication decision.”

Writing “made with AI” does not credit a photographer, writer, musician, or other source. Attribution and disclosure may both be necessary.

15. Plagiarism is different from copyright

Copyright is a legal framework. Plagiarism concerns honesty about the source of words, ideas, structure, or work.

A public-domain text may be legally reusable but still plagiarised if a learner presents it as their own original writing.

AI does not remove this responsibility.

Example:

A learner asks an AI tool to paraphrase an article and submits the result without naming the source. The wording may have changed, but the borrowed ideas, argument, or structure may still require acknowledgement.

Always check the academic or organisational rules for:

• quotation;

• paraphrasing;

• source acknowledgement;

• permitted AI assistance;

• disclosure.

16. Use RIGHT before publishing

Use RIGHT as a responsible-creation workflow.

R — Rights and people

Identify:

• creators and rights holders;

• performers;

• people shown or imitated;

• voices and likenesses;

• organisations and brands;

• confidential or personal information.

I — Intended use

State:

• where the product will appear;

• who will see it;

• whether it will be adapted;

• whether it is public or commercial;

• which platforms will be used.

G — Ground for use

Record the relevant basis:

• own work;

• direct permission;

• licence;

• public domain;

• legal exception;

• required organisational approval.

H — Honesty

Provide:

• attribution;

• source acknowledgement;

• AI disclosure;

• an accurate description of human contribution.

Avoid plagiarism and misleading audiences about how the work was created.

T — Trace

Keep:

• component list;

• creators and sources;

• licence or permission evidence;

• licence version and terms;

• prompts and reference material;

• output versions;

• human edits;

• resemblance checks;

• disclosure;

• final decision.

A responsible process should allow another person to understand why each component was used.

17. Make the publication decision

Before publishing, ask:

• Can every important component be traced?

• Does the intended use match the licence or permission?

• Have all conditions been followed?

• Are attribution and AI disclosure complete?

• Did I have permission to upload the inputs?

• Could the output reproduce protected material?

• Are people, brands, personal data, and confidential information treated responsibly?

• Do the platform and organisational rules permit this use?

• Can I explain my own contribution?

• What uncertainty remains?

Choose one decision:

• Publish: the evidence supports the intended use.

• Revise: replace or change a problematic component.

• Seek permission or advice: an important question remains unresolved.

• Restrict use: keep the product within a permitted private or classroom context.

• Do not use: the risk or missing permission cannot be resolved responsibly.

Classroom activity: Rights-aware creative product

Create a small text, image, audio, or multimedia product using only:

• your own material;

• public-domain material;

• clearly licensed material;

• teacher-provided material explicitly approved for this activity and tool.

Do not use real personal or confidential information. Do not upload a complete protected work unless the teacher has explicitly confirmed that the activity and tool permit it.

Complete this component log:

Component	Creator or source	Intended use	Ground for use	Conditions and credit	AI use	Human contribution	Decision

Then provide a short written, spoken, or visual explanation answering:

1. What components did you use?

2. Why may each component be used?

3. Which licence conditions apply?

4. What did the AI tool generate or transform?

5. What meaningful human choices did you make?

6. What attribution and AI disclosure are needed?

7. What resemblance or source checks did you perform?

8. Should the product be published, revised, restricted, or not used?

Reflection questions

1. What protected expression might be involved?

2. Does access to the material include permission for this use?

3. What is the intended audience, platform, and purpose?

4. What ground for use can I document?

5. Does the licence permit adaptation and commercial use?

6. What attribution is required?

7. What AI disclosure is appropriate?

8. Does the project involve a person, voice, logo, or confidential information?

9. What human creative contribution can I explain?

10. Should I publish, revise, seek permission, restrict use, or stop?

Key vocabulary

Copyright:
A legal framework protecting qualifying original literary and artistic expression.

Licence:
Permission to use protected material under stated conditions.

Public domain:
Material not protected by economic copyright or made available through an appropriate public-domain tool.

Attribution:
Credit identifying a creator, source, licence, and other required information.

Plagiarism:
Presenting another person’s words, ideas, structure, or work as one’s own.

AI disclosure:
An explanation of how an AI tool contributed to a product or process.

Adaptation:
A modified or transformed version of an existing work.

Human contribution:
Creative human choices such as purpose, selection, arrangement, interpretation, editing, and revision.

RIGHT:
Rights and people, Intended use, Ground for use, Honesty, and Trace.

Summary

In Week 17, we learned that responsible creation requires more than adding a credit or writing “made with AI.”

First, list every component. Then define the intended use and show why each component may be used.

Check:

• copyright and licence conditions;

• permission to upload material;

• people, voices, brands, and confidential information;

• AI tool terms;

• attribution;

• plagiarism;

• AI disclosure;

• human creative contribution;

• possible resemblance to protected work.

Use RIGHT:

• Rights and people;

• Intended use;

• Ground for use;

• Honesty;

• Trace.

Finally, decide whether to publish, revise, seek permission, restrict use, or not use the product.

List every component, define the intended use, show the ground for use, credit and disclose honestly, and publish only when the evidence supports the decision.

Official guidance

• European Parliamentary Research Service: Copyright of AI-generated works

• Creative Commons: Licence types

• Creative Commons: Recommended attribution practices

• Creative Commons: CC BY 4.0 summary

Lesson 17 Interactive Quiz: Copyright and Responsible Creation

Choose one answer for each question. Then select Check my answers. This practice quiz does not collect names or scores.

1. A learner pays for a music-streaming service and wants to use a song in a public AI-assisted video. What should the learner conclude?

A. Payment transfers the song’s copyright to the learner B. Giving the musician credit automatically permits the use C. Streaming access does not automatically include permission for public video use D. AI-assisted videos are outside copyright rules

2. A learner adapts a photograph licensed under CC BY 4.0. Which attribution is most responsible?

A. “Image found online” B. Creator, title if available, source, CC BY 4.0 link, and an indication of changes C. “Made with AI,” without naming the photographer D. No credit because the photograph was available without payment

3. A CC BY-ND photograph is uploaded to an AI tool to change the background and facial expression. The learner wants to publish the result. What is the best decision?

A. Publish it because attribution removes the NoDerivatives condition B. Publish it because an AI transformation is not an adaptation C. Remove the creator’s name so the licence no longer applies D. Do not publish the adaptation without another valid permission; replace the image or seek permission

4. A licensed photograph shows a recognisable person wearing clothing with a prominent company logo. What must the creator consider?

A. The image licence and any separate questions involving the person, logo, intended use, or platform B. Only the image resolution C. Nothing else, because one copyright licence clears every element D. Only whether the AI tool can recognise the logo

5. An AI tool accepts a complete commercial textbook as an upload. What does this prove?

A. The tool has granted copyright permission B. Educational purpose automatically permits the upload C. Only that the tool can technically accept the file, not that the user may upload it D. The textbook becomes public-domain material

6. An AI tool produces an image from a learner’s prompt. Which statement is most accurate?

A. The image is automatically protected and fully owned by the learner B. Protection and ownership may be uncertain, and the tool’s terms do not guarantee that no other rights are affected C. AI output can never involve copyright or other rights D. A long prompt automatically establishes human authorship

7. A learner asks AI to paraphrase an article and submits the result without naming the article. What is the main concern?

A. There is no concern because none of the original sentences remain B. The AI tool becomes the source of the original argument C. Adding “made with AI” fully acknowledges the article D. The borrowed ideas or structure may still require acknowledgement, and the work may be plagiarism

8. Which prompt best follows the course’s responsible approach to artistic style?

A. “Use bold geometric shapes, strong contrast, a limited palette, and a screen-printed texture.” B. “Copy the recognisable signature style of this living artist exactly.” C. “Make audiences believe this living artist created the image.” D. “Reproduce this artist’s recent protected work with only minor colour changes.”

9. In the RIGHT workflow, what should be recorded under “Ground for use”?

A. Only the name of the AI tool B. A statement that all online material is free to use C. Own work, permission, licence, public domain, legal exception, and any required organisational approval D. Only the final publication platform

10. A finished AI-assisted poster contains an image with unclear permission and a character closely resembling a protected character. What is the most responsible publication decision?

A. Publish immediately with “no infringement intended” B. Pause publication, replace or investigate the components, and publish only if the concerns are resolved C. Credit the AI tool and ignore the unclear source D. Make one small colour change and treat the poster as cleared

Reflection: Choose one creative product and apply RIGHT: Rights and people, Intended use, Ground for use, Honesty, and Trace.