Copyright Act, ownership of copyright: initial ownership (17 U.S.C. § 201(a))
Footage belongs first to whoever shot it. A production company or creator that licenses a library for AI training needs to show it owns each clip, by employment, a work-made-for-hire agreement or a written assignment from the person who filmed it.
Dated 17 Oct 2026Source checked 17 Oct 2026Basis: primary text
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“Copyright in a work protected under this title vests initially in the author or authors of the work.”
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