Post #1473888

2026-03-02 18:49 UTC

I wonder what percentage has to be created by a human to be eligible for copyright. For example, if someone generates an AI image and then changes a few pixels, is that human-created? What if they over-paint 30% of the image? 50%? What if someone creates something in Photoshop from scratch, but they use Photoshop's in-built AI driven tools to enhance it? Either anything that uses AI in any capacity is uncopyrightable, or there has to be a line somewhere, so... Where is it?

Replies (5)

@Grimy@lemmy.world 2026-03-02 21:36

If the final product isnt the raw output from my understanding. The current laws are there mostly to stop the whole thing from turning into copyright mills.

Open ##1473898
@tabular@lemmy.world 2026-03-02 20:00

Instead of considering if the whole work is now copyrightable, consider parts of the work made by generative AI are not and the human parts are (if they reach the minimum line of creativity). Sure there's other helpful tools that do some of the work but unless they're substituting the creativity then they need not apply.

Open ##1473899
@GamingChairModel@lemmy.world 2026-03-03 00:49

A human can start off a process by their own design, but with the details implemented by phenomena not in their direct control, and still copyright the resulting work. If I take a funnel full of paint and let it drip onto a canvas in a pattern caused by the movement of a pendulum, and incorporate random movement from wind on a windy day, how would you assign a "percentage" of human creation there? What about letting the hot desert sun melt some crayons into another canvas where I placed the crayons but didn't control the drip pattern? What if I record some barking dogs but auto tune it into a melody? Or photograph the natural beauty of a wave crashing onto shore? These are all things that can be copyrighted, even if they're inherently dependent on natural phenomena not in the artist's control, because the process itself is initiated or captured or designed by a human author.

Open ##1473900
@manxu@piefed.social 2026-03-02 19:17

It goes both ways. If the artist has to do 30% of the work, what about collages? Do we have to count the square millimeters of each cut and paste item to ensure they are above the threshold?

Open ##1473901
@ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 2026-03-02 18:56

Easiest should be all digital art is not copyrightable as it was created with software that did most of the work and the "artist" could not have produced it without that software. But that would invalidate almost all Hollywood movies from the last 30 years lol.

Open ##1473902