Key facts
- AI generators typically produce PNG or JPEG images; print and signage need vector files (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF)
- UK copyright for purely computer-generated works rests on section 9(3) CDPA, which the government provisionally proposed repealing in March 2026
- In the US, works without human authorship cannot be registered for copyright; the Supreme Court declined to review Thaler v Perlmutter
- A trade mark needs to be distinctive; generic AI output can resemble existing marks
- AI tools are useful for mood boards and early ideas before a designer refines one
- dijitul logos start from £150 + VAT, with written copyright assignment once paid
The short version
AI logo generators have improved quickly. Type in a business name and a few words about the style, and you get dozens of options in seconds. For a hobby project, a placeholder while you validate an idea, or a mood board to brief a designer, that is useful. For a business that plans to print signage, register a trade mark or sell one day, the gaps start to matter: file format, ownership, originality and how the logo works as part of a wider brand.
| AI logo generator | Professional logo designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free to a small subscription or download fee | dijitul: from £150 + VAT |
| Speed | Seconds to minutes | Agreed as part of the brief |
| Files | Usually PNG or JPEG; some offer SVG | Vector AI, EPS, SVG, PDF plus PNG |
| Originality | Drawn from patterns in training data; may resemble other marks | Drawn for your business, checked for obvious conflicts |
| Copyright | Uncertain in the UK and unregistrable in the US without human authorship | Human-authored; assigned to you in writing |
| Trade mark | Risk of refusal or challenge if not distinctive | Designed to be distinctive and registrable |
| Brand system | Logo only | Colours, fonts, one-colour and small-size versions |
Who owns an AI-generated logo?
In the UK, section 9(3) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 says the author of a computer-generated work is the person who made the arrangements necessary for its creation. It was written long before generative AI, and nobody is sure how a court would apply it to a logo produced from a text prompt. In March 2026 the government's report on copyright and AI said it had formed the provisional view that this protection should be removed, while saying a final decision was still to come, according to summaries by law firms including HSF Kramer.
In the United States, copyright registration requires human authorship. The Supreme Court declined to review Thaler v Perlmutter, leaving that position in place. The tool's own terms also matter: some grant you full rights, some keep a licence for themselves, and some say nothing about whether other users received a near-identical image. Read them before you build a brand on the result.
A logo drawn by a person is a conventional artistic work. Under UK law the designer owns the copyright unless it is assigned in writing, which is why dijitul assigns copyright in the final artwork to your business once the logo is paid for.
Trade marks and similarity
Copyright stops people copying your artwork; a registered trade mark stops competitors using a confusingly similar mark in your market. To register, a logo needs to be distinctive. Generators work by producing what is statistically likely for a prompt, so a 'modern tech logo with a leaf' tends to look like a lot of other modern tech logos with leaves. That increases the chance of an objection, or of a business with an earlier mark challenging yours.
Template-based tools have a related problem. Canva's content licence, for example, says its library elements and logo templates cannot be used in a trade mark apart from fonts, simple shapes and lines. We cover that in our Canva vs professional design comparison.
Files that work in the real world
Most generators export a PNG or JPEG. That is fine for a social avatar, but sign makers, embroiderers, vehicle wrappers and printers need vector files that scale without blurring and can be cut, stitched or separated into spot colours. Auto-tracing a raster logo into vector usually produces lumpy curves and too many points, which shows up on a large sign. See vector vs raster for the detail.
A designed logo also comes as a set: full colour, one colour, reversed out of a dark background, a simplified small version for favicons, and colour values in Pantone, CMYK, RGB and HEX. Those versions are what keep a brand consistent when other people start using it.
A sensible way to use both
AI tools and designers are not either-or. Plenty of clients now arrive with a handful of AI images they like. That is a useful brief: it shows the mood, colours and shapes you are drawn to. We then design an original mark from scratch, in vector, with your business name set properly and checked at small sizes. If you already have an AI logo you are attached to, we can redraw it cleanly as a logo redesign, though you should still consider whether it is distinctive enough to protect.
Logo design at dijitul starts from £150 + VAT, and a full brand identity pack from £395 + VAT. You get a fixed price before we start.
Frequently asked questions
Can I trade mark a logo made by AI?
You can apply, but the logo still has to be distinctive and must not conflict with earlier marks. Generic AI output can resemble existing logos, which raises the risk of refusal or challenge. dijitul designs original logos intended to be registrable; for filing advice, speak to a trade mark attorney.
Do I own the copyright in an AI-generated logo?
It is uncertain. UK law has a provision for computer-generated works, but the government provisionally proposed repealing it in March 2026, and US law does not register works without human authorship. The tool's terms also matter. A dijitul logo is human-designed, with copyright assigned to you in writing.
Is an AI logo good enough for a small business?
It can be a reasonable stopgap or a starting point for a brief. Problems usually appear when you need vector files for signage or print, a one-colour version, or legal protection. dijitul can redraw or replace an AI logo with original vector artwork from £150 + VAT.
Can you turn my AI logo into a vector file?
Yes. dijitul can redraw an AI-generated logo as clean vector artwork in AI, EPS, SVG and PDF, rather than auto-tracing it. This is charged at £45 an hour + VAT or quoted. Redrawing does not fix any originality or ownership questions about the original image.
How much does a professional logo cost in the UK?
Prices vary widely between freelancers and agencies. dijitul designs logos from £150 + VAT, including vector and PNG files and written copyright assignment, and brand identity packs from £395 + VAT. You get a fixed price once we understand the brief.
Related
Get a fixed price
Send a rough brief. You'll know exactly what it costs before we start.