Start with the right question
A client may expect editable originals while a creator plans to deliver only a generated output. That mismatch is easier to resolve before production. Use a project-specific discussion record and have the actual contract reviewed where rights or liability are important.
Work through the checks
Describe the deliverable
List final files, editable projects, source assets, and excluded materials. Specify which items are generated, human-created, or licensed from others. A generic all-files promise can conceal practical restrictions.
Agree on permitted inputs
Decide whether client documents, trademarks, images, or personal information may be uploaded to a tool. Record approved services and account types. Permission to receive a file is not automatically permission to submit it to another provider.
Clarify rights language
Identify what rights the creator actually holds and what permissions come from third parties. Ask about work-for-hire or assignment language rather than assuming payment alone settles ownership.
Plan review and correction
Set a process for checking factual claims, visual mistakes, and unapproved likenesses before publication. Record who gives approval and how revisions are requested. Do not promise that generated material will be error-free.
A record you can use
- Deliverable and file format
- Human, generated, or licensed component
- Approved input and tool
- Rights question
- Approval and revision responsibility
Keep this record locally. Use document references rather than publishing account numbers or other people's personal details. An empty field means the information is still missing; it should not be filled with an AI guess.
Worked example
A fictional illustrator offers a generated background with hand-drawn characters. The client requests exclusive rights to every element and editable source files. The parties identify the generated portion, retain the character files, and seek clarification of the rights language before accepting a promise the creator may not be able to fulfill.
This example is fictional and illustrates the method, not a real case result.
Limits and next steps
This checklist is not contract language or a determination of ownership. Work-for-hire, assignment, licenses, and AI-related rights require context. Do not describe a deliverable as fully cleared without a sound basis.
Attach an asset inventory to the project discussion and preserve the final agreed scope. Update the record when a new tool, source asset, or intended use is introduced.