Downloading and publishing an AI-generated video proves that a file was delivered. It does not, by itself, establish who owns the rights. Under the legal framework of mainland China, a project needs to show who made the creative decisions, whether the model was licensed for that commercial use, whether every input was lawfully available, and whether the production process can be reconstructed.
Document the human creative contribution
The Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China requires a work to possess originality. In a 2025 AI image case published by the Beijing courts, the claimant could not provide the original generation record or prove creative input through prompts, selection, and modification. The claim was therefore rejected for insufficient evidence. For AI video production, retain script versions, directorial notes, storyboards, shot lists, prompt iterations, selection decisions, and manual revisions. A final master alone rarely explains how the expression was created.
Tie commercial model rights to a specific version
Before production, review the official service terms, commercial policy, enterprise agreement, or API contract that applied on the generation date. Record the model and version, account owner, subscription, order or invoice, and date of access. A marketing statement saying that output may be used commercially is not a substitute for the governing terms. Model permission defines the relationship with the provider; it does not clear copyrights, trademarks, likenesses, voices, or other third-party rights contained in an output.
Build an evidence package from prompts to editing
- Keep the creative brief, scripts, storyboards, character designs, source references, and approval records.
- Retain positive and negative prompts, parameters, seeds, job identifiers, model versions, original outputs, and iteration logs.
- Archive editing projects, colour and compositing files, voice and music licences, font and stock permissions, revision notes, and approved versions.
- At delivery, package the masters, source files, asset list, licence chain, and operation logs. Calculate hashes for key files and use trusted timestamps, blockchain evidence services, or other suitable electronic evidence methods where appropriate.
China's Supreme People's Court rules for internet courts identify electronic signatures, trusted timestamps, hash verification, and blockchain technology as methods relevant to authenticating electronic data. These tools can help show that records were not altered, but they cannot replace the underlying source files and production history.
Clear third-party rights item by item
Confirm adaptation and filming rights for scripts and existing IP. Record the source and licence for reference images, video, and stock assets. Obtain appropriate permission for identifiable people, face replacement, and cloned voices. Check commercial terms for music, fonts, trademarks, and branded packaging. Prompts should avoid reproducing unauthorised characters, recognisable film scenes, celebrity likenesses, or voices.
Complete the rights transfer through the contract
Under China's Copyright Law, ownership of a commissioned work follows the contract; if ownership is not agreed or the wording is unclear, copyright belongs to the commissioned party. Address the finished video, script, storyboard, character assets, generated media, project files, territory, term, media, modification, sublicensing, and advertising rights separately. Require disclosure of models and source assets, infringement warranties, replacement duties, and delivery of the evidence package. Publication must also follow China's rules on explicit and implicit labelling of AI-generated and synthetic content, effective since September 1, 2025.
When commissioning work for China, use AIGCSDM to compare AI video production teams and include copyright documentation and traceability in the quotation and acceptance checklist. Any dispute will still depend on the contract, evidence, and actual use.
