Is it okay to take screenshots of trending movies or TV shows and upload them to our company’s official social media accounts? What about performance marketing materials created with Midjourney or blog posts written by Claude? Can we use these for our company’s marketing activities?

The PR and marketing field, which is highly sensitive to technology and trends, is always bustling. Practitioners are constantly thinking about how to craft messages that “hook” audiences with trending topics, while managers worry about both performance and risk. They wonder if the technologies and materials used by their team or company might potentially infringe on copyright.

In fact, a global brand was ordered to pay approximately 750 million KRW in damagesfor a social media post that utilized a meme. With the emergence of generative AI and the feeling that “every marketer except me is creating content with generative AI,” are you curious about the copyright issues your company must understand to stay safe? If so, pay close attention to the insights from Attorney Jung Ji-woo, a creator and legal expert!

Q. Hello, Attorney Jung Ji-woo! Could you please introduce yourself?

I originally worked as a writer and cultural critic. I published my first book at the age of 24 and pursued a career as a cultural critic specializing in content. In my mid-30s, after becoming a lawyer, I naturally developed an interest in copyright law. My younger sister, who had become a lawyer two years before me, was specializing in intellectual property (IP), and I also began building my career as a lawyer at an IP law firm.

The field of copyright law, which deals with writing and content, naturally became my area of expertise, and now, as a copyright attorney, I continue to write while giving lectures and providing legal advice.

Attorney Jeong Ji-woo, co-author of the book *Copyright Law: What You Need to Know Now* and a copyright expert

🧑‍⚖️ In an era where everyone is a creator, what’s the hot-button issue in the copyright world?

Q. You’ve spent your life closely involved with creativity and copyright. I imagine copyright issues vary from time to time. What are the copyright issues people are most curious about these days?

It’s an era where anyone can be a creator.

That’s because simply taking a photo with your smartphone makes you the copyright holder. If you post that photo on social media and write even a single paragraph, you become the copyright holder. If someone reposts that content without permission and uses it for commercial purposes, it could constitute copyright infringement.

On the other hand, I could be the one infringing on copyright. For example, I watched *I Was Completely Duped* and posted a review along with screenshots on social media. When you think about it, this is also a form of using someone else’s copyrighted work. Because copyright is such a part of everyday life, you can really sense that students are very interested in the subject, even just by attending middle and high school classes.

⚠️ Common Copyright Infringement Mistakes Made by Corporate Professionals

Q. I imagine you handled many corporate cases while you were at the law firm. What are some of the copyright issues that companies commonly face?

In the course of promotional and marketing activities, you may unwittingly become a copyright infringer.

The first common issue arises when creating content for social media, blogs, or other press releases and promotional materials: using commercial images or fonts without permission, which constitutes copyright infringement. Another problem occurs when companies create promotional images or videos using trending memes, especially if those memes are protected by copyright.

Q. There are many cases where companies receive formal notices of copyright infringement. What approach should the person in charge take?

How to respond after receiving a certified letter really depends on the specific circumstances. However, here is a general overview of the process.

1️⃣ Verify whether copyright infringement has occurred
The first step is to consult an expert (lawyer) as soon as possible to determine whether we have actually infringed on copyright.

2️⃣ Identify the responsible party
You need to determine whether the promotional materials were produced by an outside vendor or created in-house. If the contract explicitly states that the vendor “assumes full responsibility,” then the vendor may be held liable.

3️⃣ Settlement or Litigation
If the infringement is clearly established, it could lead to criminal charges or a civil lawsuit. You need to decide whether it’s better to settle quickly or go to court.

Occasionally, font or image companies send mass cease-and-desist letters to various businesses in an attempt to extract “settlement payments,” but there are various ways to handle this. It’s risky to simply ignore them, but there’s also no need to panic and pay an excessive settlement. Ultimately, it’s best to consult with an expert and respond in a reasonable manner.

Q. If you think, “It’s okay to just use it for free” because you don’t want to spend money on fonts or images, you could end up losing out even more.

That’s why we recommend using Public Nuri(public works) or purchasing an official license. Public Nuri is a copyright license that permits the distribution of public works. Simply by checking the license type (Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, or Type 4), you can find a wealth of high-quality materials. As such, the cost of purchasing an official license or using public works is a much safer option.

🏁 Content generated by AI requires thorough verification

Q. As you mentioned, I find myself being more careful not to infringe on copyright when creating commercial works. However, I’m still not quite sure where the boundaries lie regarding the use of content generated by generative AI. Some articles say, “It’s okay to use content created by generative AI,” while others say, “We don’t know yet; we should take a conservative approach.”

Works created by generative AI are not subject to copyright.

The law defines copyright as "creative works that express human thoughts and emotions." Because the term "human" is included, photographs taken by monkeys are not protected by copyright. Even if a chimpanzee draws a picture, it cannot hold copyright.

Generative AI works by learning from and combining vast amounts of data available on the web to create new content, right? That’s why the global consensus isthatcreative works generated by AI—rather than by humans—are consideredto have “no copyright.”

Q. So, Counselor, can works created by AI be used under any circumstances?

Just because there are no copyrights doesn’t mean it’s safe to use AI-generated content without verifying it.

The issue lies in the learning process. Recently, ChatGPT has learned the art styles of popular animated series and has begun converting photos submitted by users into specific styles. While the details aren’t clear, it’s possible that it broke down the animations frame by frame or utilized various images found online to learn these styles.

It is important to determine whether this learning process constitutes "fair use." Fair use is a concept that allows for the limited use of copyrighted works without seeking permission from the copyright holder. AI companies might argue that there is no issue with the AI learning by transcribing text, just as a writer would. However, animation companies could argue that separate compensation negotiations are necessary. In fact, related lawsuits are already taking place overseas, and there is extensive global discussion regarding creators’ right to refuse to allow AI to use their work for training.

Q. So this is still an unresolved issue. Specifically, what are the reasons why the AI training process could be considered copyright infringement?

It’s hard to say that something is safe just because generative AI was used.

The first issue is that ,as mentioned earlier , if a court rules in favor of a copyright holder in a legal dispute over AI training, this could open the door for other copyright holders to seek damagesas well.

For example, suppose a court ruling is issued in 2027 ordering compensation of X won for a work created by generative AI that was trained on the creative works of “00 Animation Studio.” In that case, other studios and copyright holders could start filing lawsuits one after another. Although this is a hypothetical scenario, it is difficult to say with certainty how those who have derived commercial benefits from works created using generative AI would be legally regulated in such a case.

However, an even more pressing and practical risk is that AI could simply reproduce existing content it has learned from the web verbatim. For example, it could present someone else’s column exactly as it is. If this happens and the content is published under our company’s name without separate human verification, it will be difficult to avoid legal liability, even if the content was generated by AI.

📌 Checklist for Using AI to Reduce Copyright Risks

Does the output generated by the AI contain any sentences (or images) that are nearly identical to the original work?
Whether the AI was trained using lawful source data that is permitted under domestic and international legal frameworks.
When this content is ultimately released as “our company’s official position” or “official output,” have you separately verified it for errors or plagiarism?

✍️ In the age of AI, the stories only we can tell will become even more important.

Q. It seems to me that “human literacy” and the “ability to judge context” are becoming increasingly important. Even as generative AI advances, humans still need to perform the final verification. In your opinion, what skills do you think companies and creators need in the age of AI?

Yes, that's right. Whether it's a company or an individual creator, we need to distinguish between the value that AI can provide and the essential roles that humans must perform themselves.

AI is excellent at handling repetitive tasks such as summarizing, organizing, and drafting vast amounts of information. However, it’s up to us to determine exactly what we want and what “message” we ultimately want to convey.

Take writing, for example. While AI can do a good job of drafting initial versions, it’s hard for it to replace the “vivid sentences” that come from my own life experiences. Writing that reflects the subconscious, emotions, and perspectives unique to humans tends to leave a lasting impression on readers. That’s why I believe these “essential skills” will become even more important in the future.

Q. In that case, what perspective should corporate PR and marketing professionals adopt when it comes to creative work?

We need to speak up more about the unique story that only our company can tell.

I want to emphasizethat just because we’re in the age of AI doesn’t mean there’s no place left for humans. On the contrary, we’ve entered an era where essential human abilities—such as ideas rooted in human experience and editorial skills—are becoming even more valuable and important. However, this also means we must have a thorough understanding of“copyright” and “legal risks” and be prepared to address themaccordingly.

Ultimately, our creative works— our unique perspectives, experiences, and discernment—become truly invaluable. While AI offers tremendous productivity, how we utilize it is entirely our responsibility and our right. Recognizing this will allow us to continue engaging in much healthier and more diverse creative activities even in the age of AI.

🏃‍♂️ Speaker Relay Question: What’s on your mind these days? I’ll ask the question for you!

First in the relay – Choi Min-hee, Director at LinkedIn

Choi Min-hee is a Senior Account Director at LinkedIn responsible for the South Korean market. She has provided marketing consulting services to global brands such as META, LVMH, Samsung, Google, and Huawei.
👉 Read the interview with Director Choi Min-hee, who leads the Korean market on LinkedIn, the most powerful social media platform for B2B marketing

Q. Do you have any tips for working efficiently? – Director Choi Min-hee, LinkedIn

The greatest value in my life is my family. I always make it a priority to carve out time for them. Right now, nothing is more valuable to me than having 30 minutes to spare to go out for another ice cream with my daughter. But finding an extra 30 minutes a day to spend on my personal life has turned out to be much harder than I expected.

I’d love to hear tips from industry leaders on how you’re tackling this challenge and working efficiently. It doesn’t have to involve AI—I’d be grateful for any advice along the lines of, “I tried this, and it definitely helped!”

A. My approach is to turn my daily tasks into habits – Attorney Jeong Ji-woo

Whether I’m working as a lawyer or a writer, there isn’t really much that’s “mindless repetition” (laughs), but writing every day has become something of a habit for me. Just as your hands start moving automatically after playing the piano every day, if you write consistently, the words flow effortlessly without requiring much energy.

So, in a way, my approach is more about developing habits than relying on automation. While generative AIcan help by suggesting drafts, I believe that to ultimately produce a result I’m satisfied with, I need to maintain the mindset that “I am the one writing it.” That’s where I gain the know-how and discernment that come from my own experience.

Want to hear more insights and vivid stories from the field from Attorney Jung Ji-woo?

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Attorney Jung Ji-woo: Can I use Ghibli-style images generated by ChatGPT as advertising material?