Midjourney License: Commercial Use, Copyright & Terms of Service
Midjourney is an AI-powered tool that generates powerful images based on user prompts.
Its licensing terms are often overlooked but are important for users intending to utilize the images beyond personal use.
Midjourney images can be commercially used by premium subscribers thus are suitable for marketing and other art work. However, this doesn’t confer copyright ownership of the images.
Even though premium users “own” their generated assets, they can still be used or remixed by others with Midjourney not claiming image ownership.
Free users on the other hand aren’t permitted to use images commercially.
Understanding these licensing terms is essential to avoid legal complications. Premium users, adhering to terms and conditions can leverage Midjourney’s images to build their personal and business marketing material.
We recommend that you read the full Terms of Service for comprehensive insights into Midjourney license.
Disclaimer: We are not lawyers - it is to be noted that Midjourney's TOS can change at company's discretion.
What is the Midjourney License?
The Midjourney license is a legal agreement that dictates the rights and restrictions users have when using Midjourney AI to generate digital assets such as images and other arts.
Midjourney provides its users with free trial and three paid subscription offerings: Free Trial, Basic Plan, Standard Plan and Pro Plan each including commercial usage rights and a set number of hours for fast image generation.
Subscriptions can be easily activated by visiting the Midjourney website or via a command that directs users to the subscription page and users can change their plan anytime.
The images you generate using Midjourney are not copyrighted due to the absence of comprehensive legislation on AI-generated art.
Therefore, while paid users can commercially use their images without fear of removal by Midjourney, these images are essentially public domain meaning anyone can download, modify and make use of these published images.
Also, these generated images will remain visible and accessible to all users on the Midjourney Discord server.
What are the Terms of Service for Midjourney
Midjourney’s Terms of Service (TOS) outline that users own all assets they create under the license agreement which allows the generation of images or other forms of assets for commercial purposes.
Users of Midjourney must agree to the terms of service before utilizing the Midjourney AI app.
It is essential to understand that despite owning these assets, users don’t hold copyright over the generated images.
Midjourney has the authority to suspend or ban access to its services for any reason they deemed right.
It prohibits users from using the service for competitive research, reverse engineering the service or the assets or employing any sort of automated tools to access, interact with or generate assets using the service.
Can you use Midjourney images commercially?
Midjourney permits commercial use of images generated through its platform only for subscribers of its paid plan.
Free members of Midjourney are not allowed to make use of these images for commercial purposes however, they are allowed to use the image assets for personal or non-commercial use under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license or CC BY-NC 4.0.
This license authorizes the copying, remixing and redistribution of images provided proper attribution is given and the license is linked, however, it strictly forbids commercial usage.
Hence, if free users wish to use images for commercial purposes they must upgrade to a paid plan.
Midjourney Licensing terms for free users
Free Trial users of Midjourney AI tool are bound by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
This license permits non-commercial use of images that includes personal, educational, research and artistic expression, provided appropriate credit is given to Midjourney and a link is included back to their website.
Midjourney Licensing terms for paid members
Paid Midjourney subscribers can use generated images commercially under the General Terms of Service.
However, they must not claim image ownership, imply Midjourney endorsement or use images unlawfully, defamatorily, obscenely, harmfully or in rights-infringing ways.
They must also not use images or the platform in ways that could harm or interfere with Midjourney’s services, systems, or networks.
These usage rights are governed by the General Commercial Terms.
If a company makes more than $1,000,000 in gross revenue annually, it must purchase the Pro plan to use the images commercially.
Having the understanding and adhering to these conditions is essential when using Midjourney images.
When to use Midjourney commercially
You can use Midjourney commercially to create unique marketing materials, advertisements and cover art for books or albums.
By leveraging AI-generated visuals, businesses can stand out in a competitive market.
As a premium subscriber, one can use Midjourney for merchandise design such as T-shirts and posters expanding business offerings and attracting new customers.
It’s also an excellent image generation tool for developing distinct logos and branding materials, helping to carve out a unique visual identity for your brand.
Overall, Midjourney offers a variety of commercial applications that can boost a business’s visibility and appeal.
Overview of Midjourney Copyright
In 2023, the US Copyright Office declared that AI-created images can’t be copyrighted, affecting platforms like Midjourney.
Midjourney’s Terms of Service are explicit that users surrender any exclusive claim to works they create on the platform.
For all subscription tiers below the Pro Plan, images are public via the community website and Discord, enabling other users to utilize these images for personal or business use without repercussions.
Users grant Midjourney a perpetual, royalty-free license to use and distribute the input and outputs from the service.
While users retain ownership over assets they create, this is subject to exceptions. Employees or owners of companies with over $1,000,000 in annual gross revenue must purchase a Pro membership for each individual using the services to retain asset ownership.
Non-paid members don’t own the assets they create, but are granted a license under the Creative Commons Noncommercial 4.0 Attribution International License.
Midjourney’s community is open, allowing others to use and remix publically posted images and prompts.
Conclusion
Midjourney offers an AI-art platform with potential for personal and commercial use.
Users need to adhere to its terms and conditions, especially when employing generated images for commercial purposes.
It is important to stay informed about the licensing policy, which is subject to change.
Despite possible limitations, Midjourney’s technology provides immense potential for creating distinctive designs for businesses.
The responsible use can maximize its benefits and drive business growth.
However, the platform’s terms and conditions can alter at the company’s discretion.
We hope you found this article useful.
Also Read: Midjourney Pricing Explained
