Who owns an AI-generated video?
Two questions hide in this one. The first is contract: what the AI tool’s terms let you do with what it makes. The second is copyright: whether anyone can own the footage at all. For an ad, the first decides whether you may run it; the second decides whether you can stop others copying it.
What do the AI video tools’ terms say?
We read the current terms of four tools that brands use for video:
| Tool | Who owns the output | Commercial use | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runway | “does not claim ownership” | “does not restrict your commercial use” | A licence for Runway to train on your inputs and outputs |
| Luma | You; Luma assigns its rights to you | Only for output made on an active paid plan that allows it | Luma may train on paid-plan output and publicly display free-plan output; you may not remove its watermarks or content credentials |
| Kling | You: “We do not claim ownership of the Content” | Paid members: “not restricted”; otherwise its written permission is needed | Kling’s brand and logo must be on the output unless it gives written permission; paid plans list watermark removal |
| Google (Flow, Gemini) | “Google won’t claim ownership” | Not addressed in that clause | Check each product’s own terms too |
The plan matters as much as the tool. Luma’s terms say “it can only use the Outputs for commercial purposes if the Outputs were produced during an active Subscription Term under Customer’s paid subscription”. Kling’s general terms say that “without our written permission, you may not use” the output “for any commercial purposes”, while its paid terms say members’ commercial use “is not restricted.” Kling’s terms also say that without its written permission “you shall label the Output interface with the brand and logo involved”. So the same clip can be fine for an ad or not, depending on how it was made. Ask anyone you hire which plan they generated on.
Can you copyright an AI-generated ad?
Not footage made from prompts alone, in the US. The US Copyright Office concluded in January 2025 that “the outputs of generative AI can be protected by copyright only where a human author has determined sufficient expressive elements.” It names the routes: “This can include situations where a human-authored work is perceptible in an AI output, or a human makes creative arrangements or modifications of the output, but not the mere provision of prompts.”
Using AI does not sink the whole ad. The Office confirms that “the use of AI to assist in the process of creation or the inclusion of AI-generated material in a larger human-generated work does not bar copyrightability.” In an ad, the parts people made, such as the script, the edit and choice of shots, and your own product photography, can still be protected even if some shots were generated.
This page covers US copyright only; we did not check other countries.
Can someone copy your AI ad?
They may not even need to. Runway’s terms warn that similar outputs may be generated for other users, and Luma’s that output may not be unique to you. What makes an ad yours is what the AI did not invent: your real product, your brand and your script.
Who owns an ad you hire someone to make?
Whatever your contract says, so get it in writing. On Fiverr, “Buyers are granted all rights for the delivered work, unless otherwise specified by the Seller on their Gig page”, and “some Gigs charge additional payments (through Gig Extras) for Commercial Use License.”
Before you pay anyone, ask three things:
- Do I get commercial usage rights for every platform I will run on?
- Which tool, and which plan, made the footage?
- Are the voices and music licensed?
Every video The Scene Makers delivers comes with commercial usage rights, with no extra fees for voices or music.
Faces, voices and famous people
A real person’s face or voice is a separate right from the footage. TikTok does not allow “the misuse of the likeness (audio or visual) of a public figure without their permission”, and in the UAE, depicting public figures with AI needs prior official approval (AI video production in Dubai). Use AI presenters who are not real people, or get written consent from the people you show.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Tell us the product, the platform and the deadline. We confirm a fixed price before any work starts.
Get your AI video madeQuestions
Can I use AI-generated videos commercially?
Usually, if your plan allows it. Runway does not restrict commercial use of outputs. Luma allows it only for output made on an active paid plan, and Kling's general terms need its written permission, while its paid members' commercial use is not restricted.
Can you copyright an AI-generated video?
In the US, not footage made from prompts alone. The Copyright Office says AI output is protected only where a human determined sufficient expressive elements, for example through creative arrangement or modification, and AI material inside a larger human-made work does not bar protection.
Who owns a video a freelancer makes with AI?
Whoever the contract says. Fiverr grants buyers all rights to delivered work unless the seller's gig says otherwise, but some gigs charge extra for a commercial use licence, so get the rights in writing before you pay.
Does Runway own my videos?
No. Runway's terms say it does not claim ownership of your inputs or outputs and does not restrict commercial use, but they give Runway a licence to use them to train and improve its models.
How we checked this
On 29 October 2026 we read the US Copyright Office's announcement of its January 2025 report on AI and copyrightability, and the current terms of Runway (last updated 23 October 2026), Luma (14 May 2026), Kling (general terms of 21 April 2026 and paid service terms of 10 October 2026) and Google (30 July 2026), plus Fiverr's terms of service and TikTok's ad policy. Clauses are quoted word for word. We could not read Higgsfield's terms; the page returned an error. This page covers US copyright only, is not legal advice, and terms change often, so check the version in force on the day you generate. If something has changed, tell us on WhatsApp and we will update this page.
Sources
- US Copyright Office: Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, Part 2: Copyrightability, announced 29 January 2025
- Runway: terms of use, last updated 23 October 2026
- Luma: terms of service, last updated 14 May 2026
- Kling: paid service terms, effective 10 October 2026
- Kling: terms of service, effective 21 April 2026
- Google: terms of service, effective 30 July 2026
- Fiverr: terms of service: ownership and commercial use licence
- TikTok: advertising policy on misleading content and identity misuse