Welcoming the government’s move to examine the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on copyright law, the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), an industry body of the digital arms of traditional media organizations, has batted for the protection of copyright in the training of artificial intelligence models.
A multi-stakeholder committee set up in April by the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of commerce and industry, is examining whether the Copyright Act, 1957, is equipped to address the rise of AI-generated content. The panel, headed by DPIIT secretary Himani Pande, met last week, reports said.
Sujata Gupta, secretary general of DNPA, said the association welcomes the government’s initiative to conduct a review of the intersection between copyright and AI technologies and to seek stakeholder feedback.
“DNPA firmly believes that utilizing the content of digital news publishers, without consent, for AI training and subsequent generative AI applications, such as search assistance and information purposes, constitutes an infringement of copyright,” she said in a statement.
The association says it advocates for a regime that ensures fair compensation for content producers, recognizing their rights in the digital landscape. “Any initiative of the government of India to ensure fair play in this regard is vital for the growth of the digital news media sector in the country.”
DNPA represents organizations such as ABP, Mathrubhumi, Hindustan Times, NDTV, The Hindu, The Indian Express, The New Indian Express, Zee News, Dainik Bhaskar, India Today, India TV, The Times of India, The Free Press Journal, Malayala Manorama, and others.
The committee will identify legal and policy challenges posed by AI in copyright contexts; assess if the current Copyright Act is adequate; recommend necessary amendments; and produce a working paper summarizing its findings.
In January, as reported by Indian Printer & Publisher, DNPA wanted to be a party in a copyright lawsuit being filed by the news agency Asian News International against ChatGPT maker OpenAI in the Delhi high court.
ANI had accused OpenAI of using its content in an unauthorized manner in ChatGPT’s training models. OpenAI said its use of public content was “supported by long-standing and widely accepted legal precedents.”
The DNPA is different from The Digipub News India Foundation, which is a coalition of independent, digital-only media organizations in India.
