What exactly is copyright? And why should we care?
Imagine you spend years developing a board game with your friends – purely out of passion and joy. After a lot of late nights, trial and error, and creative sparks, your game is finally ready. You put it out into the world. Congratulations! What you’ve created isn’t just a game – it’s a unique expression of thought and imagination. And that makes it a creative work, protected by law.
Just like a song written and recorded in a studio with fellow musicians. Or a film crafted scene by scene. Or a photo carefully composed and captured with the right light and intention. In each case, the person who brings the idea into form is the creator – and they hold the rights to decide what happens with that work.
At least in theory.
Because we all know how easily things are copied online. The internet treats content like a buffet: take what you want, remix it, repost it. And yes – ideas are meant to travel. That’s part of their beauty. But there’s a line between sharing inspiration and erasing origin.
Let me explain something about Urheberrecht – the German version of copyright – because I think it helps to clarify what’s at stake here.
What does “Urheberrecht” mean?
In German law, Urheberrecht refers to authors’ rights, and it’s different from what most people know as “copyright” in the English-speaking world.
The key idea? The creator is always the author. Forever. You can’t sell or transfer your authorship – it’s part of who you are. What you can do is grant others usage rights (Nutzungsrechte). For example, a publisher can have the right to print and sell your book, but they don’t become the author of it. You stay the source.
If someone buys a copy of your book, they have a limited right of use. They can read it, pass it on, or resell their physicalcopy – but they don’t own the content. They can’t copy it, adapt it, or publish it without your permission.
Same with photography: I take a portrait of someone – I am the creator. My client might get the rights to use the photo for their website or social media, but not to sell it to a third party or make it part of an ad campaign. And if that person is recognizable in the photo, I also need their permission (a model release) before I can license it further. So it’s not just about the creator – it’s also about the person being depicted.
This structure creates a balance between creative freedom, personal rights, and commercial use.
And here’s the problem with AI.
Artificial intelligence doesn’t respect any of this. It doesn’t ask for permission, it doesn’t credit the source, and it doesn’t pay for usage. It learns from the styles, voices, and expressions of creators who spent years developing them – and it spits out results that imitate, remix, or replicate those original works.
That’s not just a technical shortcut. It’s a systemic bypass of the creative economy.
Because creative work is an investment – of time, skill, and soul. And that investment only pays off over time, through licenses, royalties, and long-term recognition. If we remove that possibility, if we make it normal to just take and remix without boundaries, then we kill the incentive for real originality.
We risk a world where the only “content” comes from corporate studios, influencers with agendas, or ad-driven platforms. Where independent creators can’t sustain themselves. And that’s dangerous – not just for artists, but for society.
Because creative voices are part of the public conversation. They add nuance, emotion, and perspective. They reflect the spirit of the time. If those voices fade away, we lose something essential. Not just stories – but the ability to see ourselves and each other in more than just slogans and sales pitches.
So yes, copyright matters.
Urheberrecht matters.
Because it protects the space where real, independent creativity can still exist.
Thanks for reading.