IViR Lecture Series: AI, Copyright and Collective Licensing: Perspectives from Australia

Extensive use of works in the training of AI, particularly generative AI models, has led to proposals to introduce compulsory or extended collective licensing (ECL) copyright licensing schemes that would arguably ensure remuneration for right holders while providing a one-stop shop for AI developers to secure licences. Drawing on historical experiences with compulsory licensing schemes and in-depth interviews with stakeholders in the AI and creative industries in Australia, this presentation will discuss the opportunities and potential challenges of compulsory licensing and ECL schemes in Australia. It will invite discussion on how specific national or regional context can shape the suitability of these licensing licensing models in different jurisdictions,  and explore ways to ensure that, whichever scheme is adopted, it appropriately address the likely risks and balance a variety of interests at stake.

Rita Matulionyte is an Associate Professor at Macquarie University Law School (Australia). For the last 15 years, she has been researching copyright law and, more recently, the regulation of Artificial Intelligence technologies. Rita has over 70 research papers published by leading international publishers and she has been invited to present her research in conferences in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia. She is a recipient of Women in AI Award 2023 APAC, in AI in Law category, and has co-authored commissioned reports for the European Patent Office, the governments of Australia, South Korea and Lithuania. Rita is an affiliate of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society, an expert at the Australia Government’s Copyright and AI Reference Group (CAIRG), an expert at the International Standards Organization/Standards Australia IT-043 Committee on Artificial Intelligence, an Executive Member of Macquarie University Ethics and Agency Research Centre, and is an active member of the Australian Alliance for AI in Healthcare, Safety and Ethics Working Group. She is a current recipient of two ARC Discovery Project grants: ‘No to BackBox AI: Towards Transparent and Safe AI in Healthcare’, and ‘Generative AI and Creative Industries: Ethical, Legal and Work Implications’.