Government suggested that copyright protection be lifted for works generated entirely by computers
The UK government has ditched a legislative reform plan that would have allowed artificial intelligence systems to be trained on copyrighted material, reported the Law Society Gazette.
The plan would permit the data mining of copyrighted works in AI systems training unless a rights holder specifically opts out of the process. Rights holders and members of creative industries expressed what the government described as “strong views” in 11,520 submissions filed during a consultation conducted under Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 provisions.
Thus, the government said in a statement published by the Gazette that it would not amend copyright law until “we are confident that they will meet our objectives for the economy and UK citizens.” In a policy paper released on March 18, the government suggested that copyright protection be lifted for works generated entirely by computers.
“We agree that copyright should incentivise and protect human creativity,” the government wrote in a snippet of the paper published by the Gazette.
Moreover, it said it would continue to track the impact of rules requiring AI developers to disclose training data in other countries. Moreover, it would collaborate with industries to identify best practices in labelling AI-generated content.
“The government must prioritise transparency in how AI developers use copyrighted material safeguarding the rights of creators regardless of the mechanism used (opt in or out),” said Ian Jeffery, chief executive of the Law Society of England and Wales, in a statement published by the Gazette.
He added that solicitors were “content creators in their own right contributing to the digital economy by sharing specialist knowledge across digital platforms.”
“Artificial intelligence can drive progress across the legal sector, but regulation must support innovation and ethical use as outlined in our AI strategy. There must be a controlled process for AI systems using publicly available data to ensure creators retain control of their intellectual property. Copyright rules should benefit both creators and AI developers,” Jeffery said in a statement published by the Gazette.
