DPIIT has recently released a working paper in which they have proposed a sweeping new framework for how artificial-intelligence (AI) developers in India may use copyrighted material to train their models.
Goverments Push For A Bold AI Reform
As per this latest proposal by the Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade, the AI firms would be required to obtain a mandatory blanket licence for any “lawfully accessed” copyright-protected content which they incorporate into their training datasets.
This blanket licence is really going to help as it would enable developers to access the full range of legally acquired works with a single licence, instead of negotiating individual deals with every copyright holder — whether musicians, authors, journalists, or artists.
Setting Royality For The Content
Moving ahead, this framework calls for a statutory remuneration mechanism in order to protect the rights of creators.
Please note here that the Copyright holders would be eligible to receive royalties when their work is used for AI training.
They would be collecting and distributing these payments by a new centralised, non-profit body which is specifically formed by rights-holders and designated by the government.
This body is intended to serve as an umbrella organisation for licensing and royalty distribution.
When it comes to the royalty rates, it would be set by a government-appointed committee and remain subject to judicial review.
The implementation of the “one licence, one payment” model would also relieve AI developers — especially start-ups and smaller players — of the burden of negotiating multiple individual licences, thereby lowering compliance costs and legal uncertainty.
Besides this, the DPIIT committee has rejected the proposals for a “zero-price licence” which was meant to allow unrestricted use of copyrighted works without compensation.
Further warning that such an approach could undermine incentives for human creators, eventually harming the production of original, high-quality creative content.
Presently, the working paper is out for public consultation for 30 days where all kinds of stakeholders including authors, publishers, artists to AI developers and tech firms — are invited to express their views.
After implantation, this policy could significantly reshape how AI training is done in India.
It may also simplify access to large and diverse training datasets, reducing licensing friction and legal risk for AI companies and startups.
The proposal further promises a steady royalty revenue stream every time their work contributes to AI model training for the creators — authors, artists, news organisations, musicians.
On the other hand, this could cause some worry about loss of control over how and where their works are used, since under the proposed licence they would not be able to opt out.
For the AI developers, they might face new recurring costs in the form of royalty payments Impacting their business models, especially for smaller firms.
All in all, this initiative marks a bold attempt by Indian government to chart a middle path between unregulated AI growth and over-protective copyright law.
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