Skip to main content
Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute

Yiheng Lu

Yiheng

PhD Student

Email: yiheng.lu@qmul.ac.uk

Profile

Thesis title

Moral Rights in relation to Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content

Supervisors

Summary of research

This research, under the guidance of Professor Johanna Gibson at Queen Mary University of London, delves into the uncharted territories of moral rights in the realm of Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC). While economic rights of copyright in AIGC have been extensively debated, the discourse on AI moral rights remains largely unexplored. This study aims to scrutinise the prerequisites for AI to acquire moral rights, assess the feasibility of such rights, and propose a comprehensive regime for AI moral rights, adopting a doctrinal methodology to analyse pertinent academic perspectives, regulations, and cases.

The research is grounded in the assertion that the protection of AI moral rights is paramount and cannot be overshadowed by economic rights, as the exploitation of economic rights often intertwines with the author's moral interests. The study will explore the authorship qualification of AI and the originality of AIGC, focusing on AI systems based on neural network technology, capable of creating without human intervention through deep learning of human-supplied content.

The absence of legal protection for AI moral rights may lead to institutional shortcomings in the copyright protection of AIGC, potentially resulting in a significant disruption to the creative market and a plethora of AIGC with unknown authorship being placed in the public domain. This research contends that a thorough investigation into the protectability of AI moral rights is imperative and will propose a moral rights regime that aligns with the pertinent characteristics of AIGC.

By addressing the aforementioned research questions, this study aspires to propose practical and operative institutional recommendations to bridge the research gap in the academic community on AI moral rights, thereby contributing to the enrichment of the copyright theory of AIGC. The expected outcomes of this research are to provide insightful reflections and innovative solutions to the contemporary challenges posed by AI moral rights in the evolving landscape of intellectual property law.

Biography

Yiheng Lu is a doctoral researcher in Intellectual Property Law at Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute, specializing in moral rights in relation to Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC), under the supervision of Professor Johanna Gibson.

Yiheng obtained his Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering and Automation and a Bachelor Degree in Law with a focus on Intellectual Property Law from Nanjing Normal University, China. He then earned an LLM in Intellectual Property Law from The University of Manchester, UK, and an MSc in Power Systems Engineering from University College London, UK.

He has presented papers at numerous prestigious conferences, such as the Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference and the Beihang University Vision Forum for International Scholars, contributing significantly to the discourse on AI and copyright law. Yiheng's interdisciplinary expertise bridges technology and law, positioning him at the forefront of research into the evolving relationship between AI innovation and intellectual property protection.

Publications and Conference Papers:

  • Yiheng Lu, ‘Blurred Boundaries of Authorship in AIGC: A Critical Inquiry into AI-Generated Creative Outputs’(2024), The 16th Beihang University Vision Forum for International Scholars, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing, China
  • Yiheng Lu, ‘Bundle of Rights’(2024), EUIPO IP Intensive Programme 2024, European Union Intellectual Property Office, Alicante, Spain
  • Yiheng Lu, ‘Thermal Management of Electronic Devices using Bio-based Phase Change Materials Embedded in a Heat Sink’ (2024), 18th UK Heat Transfer Conference, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
  • Yiheng Lu and Chigozirim Victoria Onyeagbako, ‘Examining Actors’ Welfare in AI-Generated Film Characters’ (2024), ‘Framing IP Rights in Legal, Economic, and Cultural Settings’ Conference, Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
  • Yiheng Lu, ‘Redefining Authorship in Generative AI: A Determination Methodology and Legal Framework for Authorship in AI Generated-Works’ (2024), Queen Mary Law PhD Conference 2024, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
  • Yiheng Lu, ‘Redefining Creativity in Copyright Law: A Critical Examination of AI-Generated Works through the Lens of the Turing Test and Chinese Room Argument’ (2024), Social-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference 2024, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
  • Yiheng Lu and Chigozirim Victoria Onyeagbako, ‘Your Role or My Face: Navigating the Copyright and Ethical Maze of Actor Likeness in AI-Generated Film Characters’ (2024), Warwick Law School PGR Conference 2024 - ‘Technology in an Age of Change: Perspectives on Finance, Business, and Beyond’, Warwick University, Coventry, United Kingdom

Academic and Professional Positions:

  • Secretary General (2025-), Outstanding Young Scholars Society UK, London, United Kingdom
  • Guest Scholar (2025), SLSA Postgraduate Conference 2025, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
  • Conference Assistant (2024), ‘Culture, Sustainability and Human Rights in Fashion’, Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
  • Member (2024-), Outstanding Young Scholars Society UK, London, United Kingdom
  • Teaching Assistant (2024-), Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
  • Peer Commentator (2024),  Global South Network, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
  • Communications Manager (2024-), Queen Mary Law Journal, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
  • Guest Scholar (2024), ‘Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Abundance’ Panel, Abuja International Poetry Festival 2024, The African School of Economics, Abuja, Nigeria
    Assistant Editor (2024-), Queen Mary Law Journal, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
  • Program Assistant (2024), Fashion Law LLM Program, Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
  • Conference Assistant (2024), QMIPRI Conference 2024 - ‘AI Frontiers in Intellectual Property Law: Navigating the Future’, The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, London, United Kingdom
  • Member (2024-), Socio-Legal Studies Association, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
  • Conference Assistant (2023), The Herchel Smith Intellectual Property Lecture 2023, The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, London, United Kingdom
  • Research Assistant (2023-2024), Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
  • State-Sponsored Doctoral Scholar (2023-2027), China Scholarship Council, China's Ministry of Education, Beijing, China

Read Yiheng Lu's CV [PDF 1,018KB] for more information.

Research

Back to top