AI and Intellectual Property Protections Probed at FilMart Panel

Mar 18, 2026 1:55am PT AI and Intellectual Property Protections Probed at FilMart Panel By Marcus Lim Plus Icon Marcus Lim Latest Indie Genre Pic ’Strange Root’ Bets That Its Expanded Cinematic Universe Will Grab Producers at the Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum 9 hours ago New Wave of Asian Talent Redefining Regional Cinema at Asian Film Awards 9 hours ago Chinese Auteur Jia Zhangke Wraps Short Film in Italy, Talks AI at Asian Film Awards Masterclass 1 day ago See All Courtesy of HKTDC Among the multitude of AI-related panels and workshops at this year’s FilMart, one forum on the legal landscape surrounding gen AI and IP stood out. A primary concern for producers and directors remains whether AI-assisted content can be legally protected. Hong Kong government officials sought to allay those fears at the FilMart forum “Copyright Protection and Infringement Risks of AI-Generated Content.” Related Stories Chinese Producers Push Microdramas and U.K. Partnerships at Mip London Timothée Chalamet Kicks Off Asia Tour as 'Marty Supreme' Hits $172 Million Globally, Eyes $200 Million Milestone “[Artistic works] can be subject to copyright measures, when the creation is clearly completed by a human,” said Sandra Hui, assistant director of intellectual property at the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Dept. Popular on Variety In scenarios where a director uses AI for post-production tasks like background modification or audio cleaning, the human remains the primary author. When AI is used to generate content purely from text prompts, however, the legal waters muddy. Hui admitted that there is no internationally consistent practice or standard, a situation that will change as more caselaw develops around generative AI. In jurisdictions like the EU, America, and Singapore, human authorship is required. Courts on the Chinese mainland have indicated that a work is copyrightable if the output reflects the prompt writer’s intellectual effort. In one example that Hui presented, a case involving AI-generated imagery hinged upon the human prompt author demonstrating detailed instructions and constant modifications to the images generated. In the U..K, New Zealand and Hong Kong, there are specific provisions for computer-generated works without human authors, which mean works generated by AI can be protected by copyright. Of greater concern, Hui suggested, are the inconsistent terms of service that exist from one AI platform to the next. Some AI service providers claim copyright ownership, with non-exclusive licenses granted to users, while others give copyright ownership entirely to users. This may even change according to the membership tier, with paid subscribers getting more extensive legal rights. “One need to pay attention to that clause, specifically how one can use that scope, whether there are any restrictions that could hinder one’s expected usage method,” said Hui. Jump to Comments Broadway Shows Cancel Sunday Evening Performances Amid Massive Winter Storm ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ to Close on Broadway After Seven Years Tom Hiddleston, Hayley Atwell to Reunite for ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ Broadway Revival Elle Fanning Starts an OnlyFans After Surprise Pregnancy in Apple TV’s ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ Trailer ‘Rosebush Pruning’ Director Karim Aïnouz on His Twisted, Star-Studded Family Satire: ‘The Way That Patriarchy Has Been Naturalized’ Is ‘Something We Need to Deal With’ (EXCLUSIVE) Hellmann’s New Super Bowl Commercial Mixes Andy Samberg, Elle Fanning With a Song About Sandwiches JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...