AI copyright law could breach constitution and trigger global compensation
Constitutional expert warns copyright changes to allow AI scraping could breach property protections and expose Australia to global claims.
The federal government is considering weakening copyright law. This would let some AI companies scrape music, books and journalism for training data.
Australia's leading constitutional law expert, Anne Twomey, has warned this could trigger a serious problem. Section 51 of the Australian Constitution says the government can only take property 'on just terms'.
If copyright is weakened, this could amount to acquiring intellectual property rights without fair compensation. Coalition senators and the recording industry are alarmed.
Rights holders from anywhere on Earth could potentially sue the federal government for compensation. The attorney general's department admitted it is 'extremely alive' to these concerns.
A government announcement on AI policy is expected soon.
- Section 51, Australian Constitution
- Constitutional section
- Anne Twomey
- Expert
- Ross Cadell, Nationals
- Senator
Why it mattersIf Australia weakens copyright for AI without solving the constitutional problem, the government could face massive legal claims from global creators and studios.
AustraliaAustralian copyright law and AI investment plans could be shaped by this constitutional risk, affecting both local creators and tech companies wanting to train AI here.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
