Copyright Agency welcomes Government’s continued support for Australia’s copyright system in the age of AI
August 6, 2025
Copyright Agency welcomes the Government’s continued support for Australia’s world-leading copyright system.
In an interview on ABC today Industry Minister Tim Ayres said that the Government had no plans to change Australia’s copyright law in relation to artificial intelligence (AI), and that there is no ambiguity about its application to the use of other people’s content to train AI models. The Government has previously committed to maintaining Australia’s copyright system, including in its Cultural Policy, Revive.
The statement of continued support is particularly welcome given the Productivity Commission’s interim report on harnessing data and digital technology, released yesterday, in which it sought feedback on a change to Australia’s copyright system to allow text and data mining (TDM) by multinational technology companies.
Copyright Agency opposes a TDM exception, including because it would only serve to preference the interests of multinational technology companies at the expense of our own creative industries.
Australians can get the benefits of AI-related productivity gains without watering down our world-class technology-neutral copyright system. That system is the backbone of the creative industries in Australia and allows creators to earn a living from their endeavours by licensing the use of their work.
The push to water down Australia’s copyright system comes from multinational tech companies, and is not in the national interest. Experience has shown that multinational tech companies do not willingly enter into arrangements to compensate those whose content they use to add significant value to their products and services.
Ethical developers of AI in Australia can get access to content to enhance functionality and outputs under the current settings, including under licensing arrangements.
“AI can deliver productivity gains, but not by stripping value from the creative industries that are central to our culture and economy. If we want high-quality Australian content to power the next phase of AI, we must ensure creators are paid for it,” said Josephine Johnston, Copyright Agency CEO.