Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a meeting of the government’s Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters on Friday.
June 10, 2023 17:42 (Japan time)
Government’s Latest Intellectual Property Promotion Blueprint Stipulates Steps to Combat Piracy Related to Generated Artificial Intelligence Technology, Suggests Policy Shift from Promoting AI to Restricting Technology are doing.
The government, which adopted the plan on Friday, is believed to have taken into account copyright infringement concerns expressed by content creators and others.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a meeting of the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters on Friday.[We will] Consider necessary measures, including measures to deal with specific risks such as copyright infringement. ”
It will be the first time in six years that much space has been devoted to AI in the annual plan.
At the time of 2017, there was a view that copyright law regulations were hindering the progress of AI technology, and the plan for the same year clearly stated that “it is important to promote business creation through necessary legal development.” However, he also pointed out that the impact of AI on creative activities is “unclear”.
Under the current copyright law, which was revised in 2018, copyrighted works can be used to train AI models without the permission of the copyright holder, so Japan’s AI regulations are significantly lax compared to Western countries.
Given the new risks of artificial intelligence, the latest intellectual property plan states that it will “re-examine the relationship between artificial intelligence and intellectual property” and that “a large amount of content will be generated that is indistinguishable from human creations.” It may be possible,” he admits. [by generative AI]Influences creative activity. ”
Going forward, the government will work closely with the government’s AI strategy team, which is made up of officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and related ministries, and begin examining concrete measures.
“Relevant ministries and agencies will work with experts such as intellectual property law scholars and lawyers to sort out issues,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference on Friday.
“We need new frameworks and rules”
The government’s intellectual property promotion plan “takes into account the concerns of rights holders,” said a 36-year-old illustrator from Osaka Prefecture who found online an image similar to her work created by an AI model.
However, he called for “prompt discussion on clarification of prohibited acts and compensation for creators.”
On the other hand, Fumio Tanai, managing director of the Japan Photographic Copyright Association, said that the current copyright law “lacks respect for expressive activities and works of art,” and said, “We will create a new framework and rules based on the draft plan.” I am asking. ”
Megumi Morisaki, chairman of the Arts Workers Japan Association, an association of actors and film directors, said, “I would like the government to create an opportunity to directly reflect the voices of copyright holders in future discussions.”
