The short answer
An AI tool does not settle the protection question. Assess separately whether the finished logo is suitable as a trademark, which rights exist in the design and whether you may use it commercially. A lack of copyright protection does not automatically prohibit trademark registration or establish freedom from other people's rights.
Consider human design input and copyright separately
Swiss copyright law requires a human creation. The IPI explains that a sufficiently individual human design can be protected where AI serves as a tool. A purely machine-generated result lacks that basis in itself. Whether the human contributions are sufficient depends on the particular creation process.
Keep your own sketches and identifiable stages of editing. Record which shapes, arrangement and details you developed yourself. Merely keeping records does not create rights, but it can make the actual design process traceable.
Sources: IPI: Can AI tools infringe copyright? · IPI: Copyright in the training and use of artificial intelligence
The result can still affect other people's rights
Protected elements from other works can remain recognisable in an AI result. Permission may then be required to use them. The terms of the tool you use also matter, including those covering commercial use or uploaded source material.
Do not assume that a newly downloaded image is automatically new in legal terms. Examine distinctive details and any templates used. If a similarity to a well-known sign stands out, have the result assessed more closely or revise it before launching the product.
Sources: IPI: Copyright in the training and use of artificial intelligence · IPI: Can AI tools infringe copyright?
The finished sign matters for trademark protection
Trademarks distinguish one business's goods or services from others. A name, an image or a combination may serve this purpose. Whether AI was used to create a logo does not replace an assessment of its distinctiveness for your offering.
Decide whether the name, the graphic or both will have lasting importance for your customers. Create a stable final version for the application. Frequently changing AI variants are less helpful for this decision than a clearly selected design you actually intend to put on your products.
Sources: IPI: Types of trademark
What you can do now
- Save your own sketches, edits and source images used.
- Check the tool's terms and recognisable third-party design elements.
- Choose the name and final logo for the specific application.
Frequently asked questions
Do I own every image generated through a paid AI account?
The account price does not establish that. The tool's terms, the human design contribution and possible third-party rights must be considered separately.
Sources: IPI: Can AI tools infringe copyright? · IPI: Copyright in the training and use of artificial intelligence
Can a logo still be a trademark if it has no copyright protection of its own?
Copyright and trademark law apply different requirements. Trademark protection concerns the sign as an identifier of goods or services. Other rights and permissions to use it still matter.
Sources: IPI: Types of trademark · IPI: Can AI tools infringe copyright?