UK government opens consultation on copyright and AI
The UK government has launched a consultation on copyright and artificial intelligence, including a proposed text and data mining exception with an opt-out.
On 17 December 2024 the Intellectual Property Office, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published a consultation on copyright and artificial intelligence. It runs until 25 February 2025.
The consultation sets out several options for how copyright law should treat the use of protected works to train AI models, ranging from leaving the law unchanged to a broad exception. The approach it proposes is an exception for text and data mining that would allow AI developers to train on material to which they have lawful access, unless right holders have expressly reserved their rights. The document says such an exception would be underpinned by transparency measures, and that it would not be introduced without them.
The consultation also asks about transparency obligations on AI developers, technical standards for reserving rights, the existing protection for computer-generated works, and digital replicas of a person's voice or likeness.
Why it matters: an opt-out model would change the default position for authors and publishers, placing more weight on their ability to reserve rights in a form that AI developers can read and act on. Authors, agents and small publishers who want their views counted have until the closing date to respond. Nothing has changed in law at this stage.
Sources: GOV.UK: Copyright and artificial intelligence (consultation); GOV.UK: Copyright and AI consultation document.