{"id":43648,"date":"2025-05-19T19:25:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T13:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=43648"},"modified":"2025-05-19T19:36:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T14:06:15","slug":"generative-ai-and-issues-of-copyright","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/19-05-2025\/generative-ai-and-issues-of-copyright","title":{"rendered":"Generative AI &amp; Issues of Copyright"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Science &amp; Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Generative AI <\/strong>does not merely reproduce copyrighted works but trains on them, raising concerns about unauthorized usage, unlike previous technologies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Generative AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It refers to AI systems capable of <strong>creating new data,<\/strong> whether it\u2019s text, images, or code. It is driven by advancements in <strong>Large Language Models (LLMs)<\/strong> that have the capability to generate new data, whether it\u2019s <strong>text, images, or code.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Generative AI models<\/strong> are trained on <strong>massive datasets,<\/strong> often scraped from the open internet. These datasets <strong>frequently include copyrighted material, <\/strong>sometimes <strong>without the explicit consent<\/strong> of the copyright holders.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>GenAI tools are now being used in mainstream journalism, advertising, entertainment, and education.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has <strong>raised ethical and legal concerns<\/strong> over whether the use of such data in training AI constitutes fair use or a breach of copyright law.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Evolution of Copyright Law<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Statute of Anne (1710): It was the world&#8217;s first copyright law<\/strong> enacted in <strong>England, that <\/strong>introduced the <strong>concept of the author of a work<\/strong> being the owner of its copyright, and laid out fixed terms of protection.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It established <strong>fixed terms of protection<\/strong> and required registration at Stationers&#8217; Hall.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also led to the <strong>Copyright Act of 1790 in the United States<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Berne Convention (1886)<\/strong>: It created <strong>international copyright standards<\/strong>, ensuring mutual recognition of copyrights across nations, and eliminated the need for separate registrations in different countries.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It remains<strong> in force to this day,<\/strong> and continues to provide the basis for <strong>international copyright law.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India is part of the Berne Convention.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Copyright Registration Systems:<\/strong> Registration systems vary across countries, while the Berne Convention protects unpublished works.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some nations offer optional registration, while others rely on automatic copyright protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Copyright Issues in Generative AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Unauthorized Use of Copyrighted Content:<\/strong> AI companies use <strong>web scraping methods<\/strong> <strong>to train their LLMs<\/strong> on a vast array of data, including both public and copyrighted content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fair Use Debate:<\/strong> In the <strong>USA<\/strong>, OpenAI faces similar lawsuits, where it has invoked <strong>\u2018fair use\u2019<\/strong> and <strong>\u2018fair learning in education\u2019<\/strong> as defenses <strong>under American copyright law.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, OpenAI has introduced an <strong>opt-out mechanism<\/strong> for future training, but it <strong>does not address past usage.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legal Challenges in India:<\/strong> The Federation of Indian Publishers and Asian News International have filed lawsuits against <strong>OpenAI in the Delhi High Court,<\/strong> alleging unauthorized use of their works.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Music Industry Concerns:<\/strong> Bollywood music labels have joined copyright lawsuits against AI platforms, citing unauthorized use of sound recordings for AI training.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Legal Ambiguity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>United States:<\/strong> It has clarified that <em>purely AI-generated works are not eligible for copyright protection<\/em>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It has prompted creators to include \u2018substantial human authorship\u2019 in AI-assisted works to ensure copyrightability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Japan: <\/strong>It has explicitly stated that <strong>AI training using copyrighted data does not infringe copyright<\/strong> as long as it is <strong>non-consumptive and for machine learning purposes.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Legislations in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Copyright Act, 1957: <\/strong>The <strong>Copyright Act of 1957<\/strong> does not directly address AI-generated works.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Section 2(d) of the Act<\/strong> defines<strong> an \u2018author\u2019 in human terms,<\/strong> making it difficult to attribute authorship to a non-human agent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Panel Review on AI &amp; Copyright: <\/strong>The Indian government has set up a panel to assess whether existing copyright laws are sufficient to regulate AI-related disputes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No Separate IPRs for AI Content: <\/strong>The government has clarified that there is no proposal to create separate <strong>Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) <\/strong>for AI-generated content, relying on existing copyright and patent laws.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal Complexities in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s copyright framework is <strong>significantly different from the US model<\/strong>, as:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India follows an <strong>enumerated exceptions approach<\/strong>, not the flexible US \u2018fair use\u2019 test.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Educational exceptions<\/strong> in India are narrowly defined, confined to classroom use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was<strong> urged by the Delhi High Court <\/strong>to consider whether it is <strong>technically feasible<\/strong> for <strong>AI to \u2018unlearn\u2019<\/strong> previously absorbed copyrighted data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It limits maneuverability for AI developers and may favor right-holders in litigation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward: Toward Ethical AI Creation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Regulatory frameworks need to evolve and ensure that <strong>original human creators are respected, credited, and, where appropriate, compensated<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Balancing Innovation and Protection: There is a need for a level playing field<\/strong> to ensure fair competition in the AI space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proposals gaining traction include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>AI transparency laws<\/strong>, requiring companies to disclose datasets used in training.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opt-out registries<\/strong> for creators who do not wish to have their content used.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fair licensing schemes<\/strong> that allow AI companies to use copyrighted data with remuneration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Copyright law stands at a pivotal moment. Generative AI challenges traditional legal interpretations, but its regulation must not hinder creativity and access to knowledge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By reaffirming the core principles of copyright and ensuring fair treatment of all players in the AI ecosystem, the law can continue to serve its dual purpose\u2014<strong>protecting creators while promoting learning and innovation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> In the evolving landscape of copyright and AI, do you think existing legal frameworks are sufficient to address the ethical and ownership challenges posed by generative AI? Discuss with relevant examples.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/copyrights-tryst-with-generative-ai\/article69590505.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-19-May-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Generative AI does not merely reproduce copyrighted works but trains on them, raising concerns about unauthorized usage, unlike previous technologies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43648"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43701,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43648\/revisions\/43701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}