Copyright

Recently, the Beijing Internet Court delivered its first-instance verdict in China inaugural copyright infringement case related to virtual digital humans. This groundbreaking ruling marks a significant step forward in protecting intellectual property rights for digital humans in China. It provides crucial legal clarity for international companies involved in virtual digital human projects within the Chinese […]

Case Background The Hangzhou Internet Court recently adjudicated a pivotal copyright dispute concerning an AI platform enabling users to train and distribute LoRA models derived from protected Ultraman imagery. This ruling establishes critical boundaries for generative AI service providers’ legal responsibilities when facilitating user-generated content that implicates third-party intellectual property. Technical Functionality & Alleged Infringement

AI models comprise their structure and parameters. The structure includes the arrangement and quantity of components, while the parameters are specific values obtained through training and optimization. In March 2025, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court made a landmark ruling in the Douyin v. B612 case, marking the first time AI model structure parameters were protected

This article, originally published in Chinese in Issue 10 of China Judgments in 2025, is authored by He Zhuolan, who holds the position of Assistant Judge at the Judicial Administration Office of the Guangzhou Internet Court. Emotional artificial intelligence (referred to as “emotional AI”) encompasses AI applications that facilitate emotional interactions with users and offer psychological

  The rapid advancements in intelligent robotics and live streaming have led to the emergence of numerous legal challenges, such as defining the legal status of virtual digital personas, determining if using someone else’s virtual persona for live streaming is an infringement, and whether mimicking another’s live streaming room design amounts to unfair competition. The Hangzhou Court addressed these issues in the Erbai Robot case, clarifying