‘A Vast Landgrab’: ICMP Weighs-In on Big AI’s Australian Copyright Battleground (EXCLUSIVE)

Australia finds itself at the forefront of a copyright battleground concerning AI training, as big tech companies push for changes to the nation's laws. The music industry warns that such a development could devastate the sector and make Australia undesirable for rights holders globally. ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd emphasized the severity of the situation, stating that the current copyright law is insufficient to protect creators in the AI era.

The International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP) agrees with the assessment, describing it as a "vast landgrab" by big tech companies. John Phelan, ICMP's director general, explains that the companies aim to use the world's digital music for AI training and model creation. He argues that the proposed opt-out system is ineffective and that these companies are using a "best to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission" approach to copyright infringement.

The ICMP has gathered evidence of extensive copyright infringement by tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Adobe, and several others. The evidence demonstrates clear breaches of legal rights and commercial duties, affecting the livelihoods of countless creators. ICMP urges governments worldwide to enforce existing copyright laws and prevent unlicensed use of music in AI applications.