Australia AI Copyright Plan Risks Section 51 Breach and Global Compensation Claims
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 30
Australia AI Copyright Plan Risks Section 51 Breach and Global Compensation Claims
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 30
Summary
Coalition senators and music industry leaders warned that any Australian move to let AI firms scrape copyrighted books, music and journalism could trigger a constitutional challenge and expose the government to compensation claims.
Section 51’s “just terms” protection is at the center of the dispute: constitutional expert Anne Twomey said an opt-out or similar model could potentially amount to government acquisition of property, depending on the final drafting.
Attorney-General’s Department officials told a parliamentary hearing they were “extremely alive” to the issue, while declining to directly answer questions about liability to foreign rights holders if AI training used international works in Australia.
Labor is weighing copyright changes within a broader AI reform package, even as Anthony Albanese has promised the “strongest possible protection” for creators and rights holders argue existing licensing law already works.