adminKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is examining the possibility of creating a provision that would allow copyright owners to opt out of allowing their works to be used for data mining, including to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
Malaysian Intellectual Property Corporation (MyIPO) Director-General Yusnieza Syarmila Yusoff said the opt-out mechanism is one of the important elements being considered in the review of the country’s copyright legal framework to cope with the rapid pace of technology.
“We are looking into the possibility of creating provisions related to data mining that also give work owners the right to opt out, that is, not allow their work to be used,” he said.
He said this when he was a member of the Media Forum panel discussing the topic of AI, Media and Intellectual Property: Who Owns, Who Is Responsible? here today.
Yusnieza said MyIPO had held an engagement session with stakeholders to assess the implications of the use of copyrighted works by technology companies as training data to develop AI systems and produce new content.
He said copyright issues related to AI encompass two main aspects, namely the use of works as input or training data and the ownership status of the output generated by the technology.
“This AI involves two main issues, namely the input regarding how the training data is used by the technology, and the second is the output issue regarding the ownership status of the results generated,” he said.
Therefore, the ongoing research also includes the scope of permitted use of works for data mining purposes, including detailing the type, purpose, and limits on the amount of content that can be accessed.
He said any new legal framework must strike a balance between protecting copyright owners and providing an environment conducive to technology, trade and investment.
“We do not want laws to be too strict to the point of restricting trade, investment and technological development. The framework created must be user-friendly, intellectual property-friendly and balanced,” he said.
Yusnieza said that scrutiny of every provision, exception and limitation in copyright law is still continuing through forums and discussions with stakeholders before any approach is finalized.
— BERNAMA
