← Back to the wire

A Wuhan court just made AI production costs a legal factor in copyright infringement cases

AnnouncementPolicySep 28, 2026

A Wuhan court included AI production costs—token usage and tool licensing fees—in copyright damages for the first time, the National Law Review reports. The case involved an AI-generated short drama copied by another company a day after publication. The court ruled the drama was protectable because employees made creative decisions throughout, treating AI as just a tool. The plaintiff received 20,000 RMB (about $2,900), and the court recommended creators retain records like scripts and prompt drafts.

Receipt № 21211 source · awaiting confirmation ◐

Evidence

1source· awaiting independent confirmation

No score is assigned. Sources and their independence are shown in the citation chain below.

Citation chain · 1 source

National Law ReviewCompany
Canonical: https://the-decoder.com/a-wuhan-court-just-made-ai-production-costs-a-legal-factor-in-copyright-infringement-cases/