In the UK, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 amended to Protection of Children Act 1978 so as to define the concept of a pseudo-photograph.

Section 7.- (7) 'Pseudo-photograph' means an image, whether made by computer-graphics or otherwise howsoever, which appears to be a photograph.

(8) If the impression conveyed by a pseudo-photograph is that the person shown is a child, the pseudo-photograph shall be treated for all purposes of this Act as showing a child and so shall a pseudo-photograph where the predominant impression conveyed is that the person shown is a child notwithstanding that some of the physical characteristics shown are those of an adult.

(9) References to an indecent pseudo-photograph include-

(a) a copy of an indecent pseudo-photograph; and

(b) data stored on a computer disc or by other electronic means which is capable of conversion into a pseudo-photograph.

The Protection of Children Act 1978 (as amended) does not define how a pseudo-photograph is made. This is to avoid the Act being limited to covering only known forms of making images. In this way, as yet unthought of forms of image production are intended to be covered.

While Act does not define how a pseudo-photograph IS made, it does tell us how it is NOT made: a pseudo-photograph is NOT taken.

It is a presumption of statutory interpretation that different words have different meanings and it was thought necessary to add the concept of pseudo-photography to the legislation. Since Parliament does nothing in vain, a pseudo-photograph is not a photograph.

The Oxford Concise English Dictionary defines a photograph as ‘a picture made by a camera’. A pseudo-photograph, then, is an image that appears to be a photograph but which was not made with a camera.

Reference

Wasik, Martin; & Taylor, Richard (1995). Blackstone's Guide to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Blackstone Press. ISBN 1-85431-407-1.