A Wuhan court just made AI production costs a legal factor in copyright infringement cases
A Wuhan court counted AI token and licensing costs in damages for a copied AI short drama.
A Wuhan court included token usage and AI tool licensing fees in a copyright damages calculation, reportedly for the first time. A company used AI tools in early 2026 to produce a one-hour short drama and published it on platforms including WeChat. Another company copied the work a day later, retitled it, and ran ads. The court treated the drama as a protectable audiovisual work because employees made creative decisions from scripting and prompting through output selection and editing, and awarded 20,000 RMB (about $2,900).
- Wuhan court counted token usage and AI licensing fees in copyright damages.
- Creative employee choices made the AI-generated drama a protectable audiovisual work.
- Another company copied the one-hour drama one day later and inserted ads.
- The plaintiff was awarded 20,000 RMB, about $2,900.
- Creators were advised to keep scripts, prompt drafts, and project files.
From the original article
1 min read at the-decoder.com
A court in Wuhan, China has factored token usage and AI tool licensing fees into a copyright damages calculation for the first time. The ruling is part of China's broader push to build out copyright protections for AI-generated works. The article A Wuhan court just made AI production costs a legal factor in copyright infringement cases appeared first on The Decoder.
By Manuel Uth · the-decoder.com
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