Taiwan Political Ad Copyright Lawsuit Over AI-Generated Imagery
A production team behind a Taiwanese political advertisement using AI-generated imagery was sued for copyright infringement by the creators of a government-subsidized film. The defendants disputed the allegations, arguing the works used different imagery and cost far less than the plaintiff's production.
What happened
The production team behind the KMT's 'Liar Principal' (θηΎζ ‘ι·) animated political advertisement, created during a 2025 recall campaign, was sued for copyright infringement by the production team behind the film 'Zero Day Attack' in 2026.
The lawsuit alleges that the KMT team's use of AI-generated imagery of dried yellow grass infringed the copyright of the 'Zero Day Attack' team's live-action footage of green grass.
Index analysis
The KMT new media team defended itself by noting the cost disparity between the productions, stating their advertisement cost a fraction of 'Zero Day Attack,' which received government subsidies exceeding NT$100 million from the Culture Ministry and other national sources.
Team members characterized the lawsuit as frivolous, arguing that AI-generated grass and live-action grass of different colors could not constitute copyright infringement, and questioned whether only government-backed works could claim copyright protection.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.