A broad coalition of Australian creative organisations has written to the federal government asking it to keep copyright law as it is and stop AI developers from training on local work without permission or payment. Signatories include APRA AMCOS, ARIA, the Copyright Agency, Screenrights, Screen Producers Australia, AIR and the national First Nations music office.
Their case is that existing law already covers AI training, and that the government should stand by its October decision to reject a free-use exception. The letter rests on consent and pay: creators should be able to refuse, and be paid when they agree.
The push follows June reporting by The Atlantic that song datasets used for AI training held millions of Australian and New Zealand works, including music by Kylie Minogue, Lorde, Nick Cave and Tame Impala. APRA AMCOS chief Dean Ormston called it the biggest IP theft the industry has seen, and ARIA's Annabelle Herd warned that changing the law would wipe out a working licensing market.
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