Runway · Runway Terms of Service · View original document ↗

Prohibition on Using Outputs to Develop Competitive Products

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 325 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

You are prohibited from using Runway's AI-generated outputs or any part of the service to build, train, or improve AI tools or products that compete with Runway.

This analysis describes what Runway's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This clause operationally restricts the permissible uses of generated outputs to prevent their deployment in development of alternative or competing services. The restriction applies to both direct competitive product development and indirect applications that advance competitive capabilities.

Interpretive note: The terms 'similar or competitive products' and 'indirectly uses' are not defined, creating ambiguity about the scope of this restriction for developers, researchers, and businesses using outputs in multi-tool workflows.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users who generate content through Runway for use in developing other AI or media generation tools may be in breach of the terms of use, even if those outputs are used for independent projects unrelated to direct commercial competition with Runway.

How other platforms handle this

Instacart Medium

You further agree that you will not use the Services or any information contained therein or obtained therefrom, including any output or other information derived from the Services, to directly or indirectly create, train, test, or improve any machine learning, large language, or artificial intellig...

OpenAI Medium

Don't claim to be human when directly and sincerely asked, use AI to deceive people about its fundamental nature, or impersonate real people or organizations in misleading ways.

Midjourney Medium

Do not generate images for political campaigns or to try to influence the outcome of an election. Do not generate images to spread misinformation or disinformation.

See all platforms with this clause type →

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
you shall not (and shall not permit any third party to) either (a) take any action or (b) Make Available any Content on or through the Services that: ... (viii) directly or indirectly uses the Services (including, but not limited to, Outputs) to create, train, develop, or improve similar or competitive products or services.

— Excerpt from Runway's Runway Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The enforceability of prohibitions on using AI-generated outputs for competitive product development may interact with antitrust law and competition law in the EU, particularly where such restrictions could be characterized as anti-competitive restraints on trade. The FTC evaluates whether terms of service provisions constitute unfair methods of competition under Section 5 of the FTC Act. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The breadth of this restriction, which covers indirect use of Outputs to improve similar or competitive products, creates ambiguity for developers and researchers who may use generative AI outputs as part of broader workflows. The phrase 'directly or indirectly' and 'similar or competitive products' are not defined in the excerpt provided, which creates interpretive uncertainty about scope. JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU competition law under Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union may impose limits on the enforceability of contractual restrictions that prevent customers from using legitimately obtained outputs to develop competing products. US antitrust exposure may vary depending on Runway's market position. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Developers, researchers, and AI companies using Runway under API agreements should assess whether their workflows could be characterized as using Outputs to improve competitive products, and should seek legal review before using Runway outputs in model training pipelines for external AI tools. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should assess whether this restriction is adequately disclosed in the onboarding process and whether it applies to academic research, independent creative tools, or other non-commercial uses that involve AI model development adjacent to Runway's services.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC evaluates restrictions in digital service agreements that may constitute unfair methods of competition under Section 5 of the FTC Act
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CFAA
United States Federal
Trump Executive Order on AI Policy Framework
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Runway Terms of Service
Entity
Runway
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 11, 2026
Last verified
May 11, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-010845
Document ID
CA-D-00447
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
a884893e99677ecdfdfbb969a3cdb8ed207a2aeefb8ac097eee079227cbf472d
Analysis generated
May 11, 2026 23:39 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Runway
Document: Runway Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-010845
Captured: 2026-05-11 23:39:48 UTC
SHA-256: a884893e99677ecd…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/runway/runway-terms-of-service/prohibition-on-using-outputs-to-develop-competitive-products/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Runway's Prohibition on Using Outputs to Develop Competitive Products clause do?

This clause operationally restricts the permissible uses of generated outputs to prevent their deployment in development of alternative or competing services. The restriction applies to both direct competitive product development and indirect applications that advance competitive capabilities.

How does this clause affect you?

Users who generate content through Runway for use in developing other AI or media generation tools may be in breach of the terms of use, even if those outputs are used for independent projects unrelated to direct commercial competition with Runway.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Runway?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Runway.