Annual Business Licence extension Q&A

Here are some of the questions that members have asked about the Annual Business Licence extension.

Scope of Annual Business Licence extension

Will the Annual Business Licence extension allow the use of my works for training an AI model?

No. It will allow the inclusion of works in prompts for AI tools by staff of businesses with an Annual Business Licence. You can see examples of that here.

Will the Annual Business Licence extension allow businesses to sell outputs from AI tools?

No.

Will the Annual Business Licence extension allow the use of images?

Yes, images that members have authorised us to include. It will not apply, however to images (or any other material) that includes Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP).

Compliance

How will Copyright Agency ensure copyright compliance in businesses?

We currently work closely with businesses that have our Annual Business Licence on what their staff are entitled and not entitled to do under the licence. We will do the same for the Annual Business Licence extension. We will work with businesses on their AI policies, and on communications to their staff on what the staff are entitled and not entitled to do with AI tools.

Will there be a mechanism for redress if the licence conditions are breached?

If there is a use of material outside the licence, and it is an infringement of copyright, there are mechanisms that include legal action.

How will Copyright Agency know if an output replaced purchase of a work?

The Annual Business Licence extension applies to sharing of outputs from AI tool with colleagues in the business. We will work with licensees on implementation of licence conditions, policies and guides for employees.

Usage information from Annual Business Licence extension

Will there be tracking of usage under the Annual Business Licence extension?

Not at a granular level. The Annual Blanket Licence is intended to allow employees of businesses to use third party content with limited administrative requirements, but with licence fees payable to rightsholders.

We will continue to do market research on the use of AI tools in businesses, including on the types of content used to provide context for prompts.

Would the end-user licence extension allow an AI tool to produce an output in my style?

An employee covered by the Annual Business Licence extension could ask an AI tool to produce an output in a particular style (e.g. in language suitable for a reader without technical knowledge), and could use a reference document as context for the request. However, the output is unlikely to mimic the style of one particular writer, but rather of writing more generally that describes technical issues for readers without technical knowledge.

Other questions

What sorts of businesses are covered by the Annual Business Licence?

They vary widely, and include businesses specialising in life sciences, marketing and PR, and law.

Will there be an additional fee for the extension?

Yes.

Can I exclude my works from the Annual Business Licence extension?

Yes. Members can currently log into their online member account and change their licence participation at any time. You will be able to exclude your works from the Annual Business Licence extension by logging into your online member account and changing your licence participation on the Licence Participation page: see here.

Question not answered here?

If you have questions that have not been answered here, you can let us know here.

November 2024

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