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‘A Vast Landgrab’: ICMP Weighs-In on Big AI’s Australian Copyright Battleground (EXCLUSIVE)
ICMP director general John Phelan has urged Australia to reject proposals that would let AI companies train models on copyrighted material unless creators opt out. He says the plan would give technology firms broad access to creative works and weaken existing protections, with consequences that could reach well beyond Australia.
The debate follows lobbying by OpenAI, Anthropic and other companies for changes to Australian copyright law. Music groups argue current rules let creators control how their work is used; Australia’s parliamentary AI committee has said the law may need updating. ICMP represents publishers whose catalogues account for 90% of commercially released music worldwide, and Phelan says it has collected evidence of extensive copyright infringement by technology companies.
In short
- ICMP opposes Australia’s proposed AI copyright changes.
- Phelan says an opt-out system would not protect creators.
- The dispute could affect creative rights globally.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
An opt-out system could let AI developers train on a broad range of material without negotiating separate licences for every work, lowering costs and helping Australia develop AI tools that compete internationally. Supporters may argue that existing copyright rules were not designed for large-scale machine learning, and that updating them could provide legal clarity while retaining a way for creators to object.
The case against
Allowing training on copyrighted works unless creators opt out could shift the burden onto individual authors and publishers to find and exclude their material, while enabling commercial use without prior consent or payment. Opponents argue this would weaken creators’ control and bargaining power, and could set a precedent for broader use of creative works without licensing.