Copyright
Japanese 著作権
Copyright is the right that lets the person who created writing, pictures, music, photos, or code decide how that work is used. It is the basis for judging whether AI output uses someone else's work.
Copyright protects creative expression made by people, such as writing, pictures, photos, music, and program code. The U.S. Copyright Office explains that copyright protects expression, never ideas, that it begins automatically as soon as a work is fixed in a lasting form, and that registration is voluntary. Think of an idea as building material anyone may use; the shape of the house you build with it is the part copyright protects.
Watch out Even an image or text made with AI can cause problems if its expression closely resembles an existing work, so check for similar works before you publish. The U.S. Copyright Office has also said that writing prompts alone does not make the output copyrightable. If a person edited or added to the AI output, keep a record of that work.
Source: U.S. Copyright Office, “What is Copyright?” · U.S. Copyright Office, “Copyright Office Releases Part 2 of Artificial Intelligence Report” · U.S. Copyright Office, “Copyright and Artificial Intelligence” · Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, “AI and Copyright” (checked 2026-10-26)