See overview of Productivity Commission (PC) interim report on Harnessing Data and Digital Technology here, and member Q&As here.
Submissions on Interim Report due: 15 September 2025
How to make a submission: see the PC’s guidance for submissions here, then click ‘Next’ (bottom right) to upload your submission (here).
The PC has asked for feedback on:
- Should the Australian Copyright Act be changed to introduce a ‘text and data mining’ (TDM) exception that would allow the use of other people’s content for AI training and data analysis, without payment?
- Should there be other changes to the Copyright Act?
Some key points:
- People working in the creative industries oppose a TDM exception because it would take away their entitlement to payment for AI development in Australia that uses their works, and is unnecessary for ethical AI development that benefits Australians
- It is difficult to address the unauthorised, unpaid use of Australians’ content for AI training in other countries by changing Australia’s Copyright Act, because copyright laws apply on a territory by territory basis
- The Australian Copyright Act already allows for the legal use of other people’s content for AI-related activities in Australia, including under licensing arrangements
If you would like further information or assistance, please contact our Member Services Team.
Share Tweet