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O
oleschwander
Legend
August 24, 2023
Answered

[LOCKED] May I steal AI generated images from AS?

  • August 24, 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 3894 views

I just read about AI generated images and I came up with a tricky question. I discovered that the product of generative AI images cannot be copyrighted. Does this mean that people are really free to steal and use AI generated images from AS and elsewhere? 

    Correct answer Nancy OShea

    This topic is so absurd, it's astounding!  Obviously you are NO legal scholar.

     

    We cannot tolerate discussions that suggest it's "OK to to steal AI assets because I saw something on the Internet."  That's not how the LAWS work.

     

    If you wish to pursue this matter, talk with a properly trained attorney who is well-versed in international intellectual & digital property laws. Perhaps they can school you and set things straight.

     

    Meanwhile, this discussion is locked.

     

    5 replies

    Henrik Heigl
    Community Expert
    Henrik HeiglCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 25, 2023

    Hi,

     

    Further Infos can be found at
    https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/help/usage-licensing.html
    http://www.adobe.com/go/stockterms

     

    regards,Henrik
    O
    oleschwanderAuthor
    Legend
    August 25, 2023

    Nothing here about AI-generated images and copyrigt issues ...

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Nancy OSheaCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 25, 2023

    This topic is so absurd, it's astounding!  Obviously you are NO legal scholar.

     

    We cannot tolerate discussions that suggest it's "OK to to steal AI assets because I saw something on the Internet."  That's not how the LAWS work.

     

    If you wish to pursue this matter, talk with a properly trained attorney who is well-versed in international intellectual & digital property laws. Perhaps they can school you and set things straight.

     

    Meanwhile, this discussion is locked.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
      Nancy OShea
      Community Expert
      Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 24, 2023

      YOU MAY NOT STEAL another contributor's property ever!!

      That's a blatant violation of Adobe Stock's Contributor Terms that will result in termination of your account and forfeiture of  royalty payments & bonuses.

       

      In addition, stealing could result in possible legal & financial penalties.  Are you equipped to deal with all that?

       

      Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
        O
        oleschwanderAuthor
        Legend
        August 25, 2023

        The point is that you cannot copyright AI-generated images. The images used by AI are already stolen images. 

          Abambo
          Community Expert
          AbamboCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          August 25, 2023
          quote

          The point is that you cannot copyright AI-generated images. The images used by AI are already stolen images. 


          By @oleschwander


          I won't give you a personal appreciation of this, but it is far from decided if the images “used” by AI are stolen. If they are “stolen” it's because of harvesting and storing massively images, not because of analysing those images and creating new assets based on those analyses.

           

          And the copyright issue is far from decided. Please note, that the rest of the world does not include the USA and that copyright is based on local law and international conventions, not on US law!

          ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
            Abambo
            Community Expert
            AbamboCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            August 24, 2023
            quote

            I just read about AI generated images and I came up with a tricky question. I discovered that the product of generative AI images cannot be copyrighted. Does this mean that people are really free to steal and use AI generated images from AS and elsewhere? 


            By @oleschwander

            As I'm not American, my AI images are copyrighted according to the Geneva convention, also in Anerica. If you are not in the USA, you are using the assets according to your copyright law. That law may protect the assets.

            If, however, you are using the thumbnails from the Adobe site, you may be in violation of the licence agreement with Adobe. The licensing law is complicated. If you are not a licence lawyer, you should be careful with stealing something. Even if there is no copyright protection, you may still be in breach of your licencing agreement with Adobe.

            ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
              George_F
              Community Expert
              George_FCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              August 24, 2023

              I don't think this has fully played out yet, if you are referring the the US court ruling that is currently in the news.  There is still an appeals process, and other legal avenues to pursue.

               

              I don't believe there is zero recourse for someone creating and selling a product.

              George F, Photographer & Forum Volunteer
                O
                oleschwanderAuthor
                Legend
                August 24, 2023

                All this AI business is a total mess in my view. I think it shoud not be legal to sell these images commercial. Just my view.

                  Abambo
                  Community Expert
                  AbamboCommunity Expert
                  Community Expert
                  August 24, 2023
                  quote

                  All this AI business is a total mess in my view. I think it shoud not be legal to sell these images commercial. Just my view.


                  By @oleschwander

                  That was what painters thought about photographers at the time. 😂

                  ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
                    Jill_C
                    Community Expert
                    Jill_CCommunity Expert
                    Community Expert
                    August 24, 2023

                    Yes, it's true that Generative AI assets are not eligible for copyright protection. But that doesn't mean that people are free to steal them from Adobe Stock. Indeed Adobe makes it difficult to steal an image because only small versions with very noticeable watermarks are presented in the Buyer portal. Regarding whether people are free to steal such assets from other websites, I'll leave that up to their own conscience. 

                    Jill C., Forum Volunteer
                    O
                    oleschwanderAuthor
                    Legend
                    August 24, 2023

                    "But that doesn't mean that people are free to steal them from Adobe Stock." - Why not Jill ..?

                    There are no watermarks on these images. They are perpecly good to use - or reuse ...

                    O
                    oleschwanderAuthor
                    Legend
                    August 24, 2023

                    If you click on any of those images to get a larger preview, the Adobe stock logo is visible, plus the asset number. I suppose you could do a screen grab from the screen that you showed, but when you crop down to isolate a single image you're going to find that the file is very small with poor quality. No reputable designer, nor their clients, are going to be satisfied with such stolen images. 


                    I agree that the images are small, but the quality with a screen grab would be just fine for most purposes - epecially on a homepage or SoMe.

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