I'm in a difficult situation and trying to figure out my next steps.
can I sell AI-generated images commercially. I've been dealing with this for about 2 months now and the situation isn't improving.
This involves original creative work over the past 11 months. I do have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.
What are my legal options here? Is it worth pursuing?
Following this thread — I'm in a very similar situation. Would love to hear how it turns out.
I specialize in this area of law. Here's my take on the legal issues.
This is a common situation and the law is fairly clear. Under the DMCA safe harbor provisions, compliant with notice requirements.
The practical consideration here is cost vs. potential recovery. For disputes under $10K, small claims court is often the best route.
I've seen this play out several times in my field.
The biggest mistake people make in this situation is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.
Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.
I ended up escalating to a supervisor/manager, which cost about $1-3 but saved me a lot more in the long run.
I went through almost the exact same thing.
In my case, it took about 1-3 months to resolve. The key was escalating to a supervisor/manager.
I had a similar issue and ended up consulting with an attorney. It was worth the $200-300 for the initial consultation just to understand my rights.
Have you tried reaching out to your state's legal aid society? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.
NAL, but from what I've read, you should file a complaint. That said, definitely get a lawyer to look at the specifics.
I went through almost the exact same thing.
I ended up escalating to a supervisor/manager, which cost about $1-3 but saved me a lot more in the long run.
I went through almost the exact same thing.
The biggest mistake people make in this situation is escalating to a supervisor/manager. I'd recommend following the formal complaint procedure instead.
Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.
The biggest mistake people make in this situation is hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. I'd recommend being patient with the process instead.
NAL, but from what I've read, you should send a written demand. That said, definitely get a lawyer to look at the specifics.
This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.
I had a similar issue and ended up consulting with an attorney. It was worth the $200-300 for the initial consultation just to understand my rights.
Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.
In my case, it took about 4-8 months to resolve. The key was filing with the appropriate government agency.
I've seen this play out several times in my field.
The biggest mistake people make in this situation is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.
I went through almost the exact same thing.
I ended up hiring an attorney to send the initial letter, which cost about $2-4 but saved me a lot more in the long run.
Have you tried reaching out to your state's attorney general? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.
I've been selling AI-generated artwork on print-on-demand platforms (Redbubble, Society6). So far no issues, but I'm worried about two things:
My monthly revenue from these is about $2,000, so it's meaningful income I'd like to protect.
Both concerns are legitimate:
1. Copyright protection: Under current USCO guidance, purely AI-generated images likely lack copyright protection. However, if you substantially modify the outputs (compositing, manual editing, selective curation as part of a larger creative work), those human contributions may be copyrightable. The more human creative input you can demonstrate, the better.
2. Platform terms: Midjourney's paid plans do grant commercial use rights. You're likely fine under their TOS. The risk is if their terms change — most platforms reserve the right to modify terms with notice, and your continued use = acceptance.
Practical protection strategies: (1) Add substantial human creative elements to each piece, (2) keep detailed records of your creative process, (3) build brand recognition (your brand IS copyrightable/trademarkable even if individual images aren't), (4) diversify across platforms so you're not dependent on one TOS.