Wuhan court awards 20,000 RMB in first AI-cost copyright ruling

This ruling builds on China's growing efforts to extend copyright protections to AI-generated works. In 2023, a Beijing court granted copyright protection to an AI-generated image, signaling that such works could be eligible for protection if they involved sufficient human creativity.

In this case, a company used AI tools in early 2026 to produce a one-hour short drama and published it on platforms like WeChat. One day later, another company copied it, gave it a new title, and ran ads in it. The Wuhan court's decision to classify the drama as a protectable audiovisual work hinged on the employees' creative decisions throughout the process, from script to prompt design and final editing. The AI was just a tool.

The stakes here lie in how courts will treat AI production costs in future disputes. If this approach spreads, it could give creators a stronger hand in infringement claims, but it may also require them to maintain detailed records of their AI workflows. Whether the recommendation to keep prompt drafts and project files becomes a de facto requirement remains to be seen.