Using UK copyrighted datasets to train AI will not amount to copyright infringement
The UK Government’s announcement on its approach to data mining and intellectual property is likely to provide a boost to innovation in AI, says leading intellectual property law firm Mathys & Squire.
The Government has stated its intention to allow developers to train AI using large, copyrighted datasets – without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.
Mathys & Squire says the Government’s approach is intended to make it easier to analyse material for the purposes of machine learning and artificial intelligence. This includes ‘data mining’, where software is used to analyse patterns and trends in datasets.
Developers are to be permitted to use any copyrighted data for which they have legal access for the purposes of training AI, without the need for any further permissions from the copyright holder.
Andrew White, Partner at Mathys & Squire says that the Government’s decision will increase developer’s confidence that they can train AI using copyrighted material without being sued by copyright holders.
Andrew White says: “Today’s announcement is positive news for AI developers. The Government’s decision will place the development of AI in the UK on a more secure legal footing.”
“The vast range of copyrighted data which these proposals give UK AI developers access to will enhance their ability to train AI and ultimately make it far more effective.”
“The Government’s decision is likely to spur innovation in the wide range of industries which use AI – from pharmaceuticals to carmakers.”
“The decision may even lead to greater public trust in AI due to greater transparency about how the AI has been trained.”
About Mathys & Squire
Founded in 1910, Mathys & Squire is one of the leading full-service intellectual property law firms in Europe, with over 110 years of experience in the protection and commercialisation of IP rights.
The firm has more than 60 qualified attorneys and offices in London, Paris, Munich, Luxembourg, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton and York as well as teams based in China and Japan.
Mathys & Squire is highly ranked in leading legal and IP directories, including The Legal 500, Chambers UK, IAM Patent 1000 and WTR1000.
