Shutterstock AI edits stay exclusive to the buyer: the policy
Shutterstock's contributor FAQ says AI edits of contributor originals stay exclusive to the purchaser and stay out of the library. What that means for buyers.
Shutterstock's contributor FAQ says a contributor's original may be modified with Shutterstock's AI editing tools, but the edited version stays exclusive to the customer who purchased it and does not enter the library. For a buyer, the AI-edited file is a private derivative, not stock other people can license.
What the pages say
The content policy page, dated 16 July 2025, says AI-generated content is not accepted from contributors. It also describes a Contributor Fund that compensates contributors for dataset use. The FAQ I read does not address video.
| Item | Page says |
|---|---|
| AI edits of originals | Exclusive to the purchasing customer |
| Library | AI edits are not added |
| Contributor uploads | AI-generated not accepted |
| Contributor Fund | Compensates contributors for dataset use |
Why exclusivity matters
If you commission an AI edit of a stock original, nobody else gets the same variant from the library. That is a different position from a generic clip that anyone can license.
Keep the paper trail
Record the original asset id, the edit step and the purchase. On Sume, each model job returns a job id and usage.cost, billed at provider list times 1.25. See how Sume pricing works.
Sources
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