Indonesia’s push to rewrite its copyright law for the age of artificial intelligence has opened a new front in the battle between news publishers seeking compensation for their work and technology companies warning against overreach.
At stake is who gets paid when AI systems and digital platforms use news, images, software and other copyrighted works – and how much human involvement is needed before AI-assisted output qualifies for legal protection.
Last week, the House of Representatives said it had completed a draft bill to amend the 2014 copyright law. Lawmakers are continuing deliberations despite the parliamentary recess, which runs until August 13.
The draft bill, seen by Reuters, would grant copyright protection to AI-assisted works only if they meet human involvement criteria, though it does not specify how much engagement is required.
The bill prohibits using AI to copy an individual’s “distinctive style” and requires disclosure of AI use in content. Tech platforms would also have to pay compensation for “aggregating, republishing, or link-previewing news content, as well as using it for AI training”, Reuters reported.
Under the proposal, royalties paid by digital companies would go through state-supervised collective management organisations (CMOs), which would distribute the proceeds to news publishers.