Brand logos, celebrities and competitors in AI video and images: what to check first

AI tools make it easy to put almost anything in a scene: a sports shoe with a swoosh, a drink can that looks like a famous one, a presenter who looks a lot like a movie star. The tool will often let you. That does not make it allowed. This page sorts the common cases into green, amber and red, shows what ad platforms say, and gives you a clearance log to keep.

This is information, not legal advice. Trademark and publicity law differ by country and, in the United States, by state.

The short answer

• Your own marks: yes.
• A customer's logo: only with written permission.
• A competitor's name as text in a fair comparison: often possible, but your claims must be true and provable. Do not use their logo.
• Another brand's logo as background or set dressing: avoid, unless it is cleared.
• A celebrity, or a look-alike or sound-alike: do not, unless you have a signed agreement.

The tool does not carry this risk for you. Higgsfield, a platform that gathers many AI image and video models, says in section 13.2 of its terms that it does no clearance searches and that you are solely responsible for rights clearances before you use outputs. Other tools have similar wording. If you are unsure how that fits with using outputs for clients, see the rights checklist for AI video in paid ads.

Your brand versus other people's brands

The US Patent and Trademark Office explains that a trademark identifies the source of goods or services, and that rights are tied to the goods or services it is used with. In plain words: a logo tells people who made or sold something. Using someone else's logo in your ad can suggest they made it, sponsor it or approve it. That is the heart of most brand complaints.

The USPTO page on trademarks covers what a trademark is, not when use of one becomes infringement. The usual legal test is whether people are likely to be confused about who is behind the product, but the details are not confirmed on an official page here, so treat that as a general idea and ask a lawyer.

For your own brand, the problem is different: AI tools often distort logos. Letters bend, a symbol changes shape, a tagline gets spelled wrong. If your logo matters, add it afterward in an editor from your real file, not through the prompt. A guide on keeping a look consistent is in how to keep a brand look across AI images and video.

Customer logos and testimonials

A customer logo on your site or in an ad suggests they endorse you or use you. Get written permission that says where and for how long. Keep it with the file. A logo wall on a landing page is the classic case: it looks harmless, and it is exactly the sort of use a customer may complain about.

If the logo comes with a quote, the testimonial rules apply as well. See fake testimonials and AI reviews. The same FTC rule covers using a celebrity's likeness without permission to suggest an endorsement.

Competitors: names, logos and comparisons

Naming a competitor in a fair comparison is common in advertising. The care points are these.

• Use the name as plain text. Do not use their logo, packaging or colours, and do not imitate their look.
• Be able to prove each claim. "Faster than X" needs a test you can show. If the claim is a feeling, call it your view.
• Stay accurate and current. Competitor prices and features change. A table from last year can be a false statement today.
• Do not imply a link. Nothing should suggest the competitor approves of the comparison.

Platforms have their own limits. Meta's ad standards say ads may not contain content that violates third-party intellectual property, and that ads must clearly represent the advertised brand. Google's ad policy bars implying backing from a brand or organisation you do not have. Both pages are linked in the sources.

Celebrities and look-alikes

The trap here is the prompt that says "in the style of" or "looks like" a famous person. Even if the tool refuses a name, a description may get close, and a close likeness can still be a problem. Several things apply, and they differ by place:

• Right of publicity. In many US states, a person's name, image and likeness have protection against commercial use without permission. There is no single federal law on it. The details differ state by state.
• Voice. Tennessee's ELVIS Act, signed in March 2024 and in force from July 2024 according to law-firm summaries, adds voice. That is a 2024 secondary source, so check whether it is still current and whether your state has something similar.
• False endorsement. The FTC says on its Consumer Reviews and Testimonials page that using a celebrity likeness without permission to suggest endorsement violates its rule.
• Platform rules. Ad platforms can remove an ad for misleading endorsement or impersonation.

If you want a celebrity feel, there are safer routes: a licensed stock model, a real local personality with a contract, or a clearly original character. For brand characters you create yourself, see keeping a brand mascot the same in every post.

Private people are different

This page is about brands and public figures. For a customer, an employee or a friend, the key question is consent, and it is a separate subject. Read putting your own face in AI video for the consent basics. Higgsfield's terms include a warranty that you hold all rights and consents for any name, likeness or voice in your inputs (section 4.2(b)), and they prohibit impersonation (5.2(viii)).

What AI tools block and what they do not

Most tools have filters that refuse some requests, such as naming a living politician or a famous character. Higgsfield has a help center article about content blocked for copyright or intellectual property. Check how its filter works before you rely on it. In general, do not rely on any filter, for three reasons.

• A filter that blocks a request is not a review of what you are about to publish. It checks prompts and outputs by its own rules, not by the law in your country.
• A filter that lets a request through is not permission. "The tool made it" is not a defence I would count on, and the terms put clearance on you.
• Models can invent marks. A background shop sign, a can or a shoe can show a logo or a close copy that you did not ask for. You are the one who publishes it.

So the review step has to be yours. A frame-by-frame look before publishing is cheap compared with an ad being pulled.

Platform ad rules in one place

Platform	What the official page says	What it means for you
Meta (Facebook and Instagram)	Ad standards: no content that violates third-party IP; ads must clearly represent the advertised brand. Deceptive practices are prohibited.	Another brand's logo or a celebrity pose in your ad is a common reason for rejection or removal.
Google Ads	Misrepresentation policy: do not imply backing from a brand or organisation you lack; manipulated media meant to mislead is not allowed. No AI-specific wording.	Do not suggest an endorsement or partnership you do not have. Serious violations can lead to suspension without warning.
Marketplaces and others	Rules differ from one marketplace to the next.	Read the seller or advertiser policy of each place you publish. See Amazon and marketplace listing videos for one example.

The traffic-light table

Use	Light	Before you publish
Your own logo, product and characters	Green	Add the logo from your real file. Check it is not distorted.
A customer's logo with a signed permission	Amber	Permission names the use, place and period. File it.
A competitor's name as text in a fair comparison	Amber	Every claim is true, current and provable. No logo, no imitation.
Another brand's logo as background or set dressing	Red	Remove it, regenerate, or get it cleared in writing.
A celebrity, or a prompt that says "looks like" one	Red	Do not use. Use a licensed model or an original character.
A celebrity-style voice	Red	Do not use. Use a voice you own or have licensed.
Parody	Amber to red	Do not assume it is protected. It depends on the country, the facts and the platform. Ask a lawyer.

A disclaimer such as "not affiliated with" does not turn a red use into a green one. It may help in some situations, but I would not build a campaign on it.

A clearance log and review step

Keep one simple table for every campaign. Any person on your team should be able to fill it in.

• Asset: file name and where it will run.
• Third-party marks or people shown: none, or a list.
• Source and permission: who gave it, in what form, on what date, for what period.
• Claim check: for any comparison, where the proof is stored.
• Frame check: name of the reviewer who looked at each frame for accidental logos.
• Escalated to a lawyer: yes or no, and the date.

Make the frame check a habit. Pause the video every few seconds and look at signs, packaging, clothing, screens and shop windows. For a wider quality list, see avoiding the AI look: quality control for client-ready output. If you keep source files in one place, an AI asset library gives the log somewhere to live.

How I'd approach this

I would treat "who else is in this picture?" as a standard question before any AI asset goes out. Default answer: nobody, and no one else's brand. That means prompting for generic items (a plain can, a plain shoe, an unbranded storefront) and adding real logos only from files you have the right to use.

For competitors, I would write comparison claims as plain text, keep the proof, and have a second person read them. For celebrities, I would not try to get close. A good original character or a licensed model will serve you longer and cannot be taken down.

For any named brand, any famous person or any paid national campaign, I would pay for a short review by a trademark or advertising lawyer. It is much cheaper than a takedown in the middle of a campaign. If you want the log, the frame check and the sign-off built into a repeatable approval workflow, that is something Blur Studio can build around the tools you already use.