DPIIT's second paper on copyrighted content in AI likely in two months

The DPIIT committee on the intersection of artificial intelligence and copyright is expected to release its second working paper, on copyrightability of AI-generated content, in about two months, a senior government official said on Thursday.

The committee's first paper was released on December 8, in which it proposed to give a mandatory blanket licence to artificial intelligence developers for using all legally accessed copyright-protected works to train AI systems.

However, the licence should be accompanied by a statutory remuneration right for the copyright holders, according to the committee's recommendation.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has sought stakeholders' views on this paper.

Recognising the growing need for deliberations on emerging issues pertaining to AI (artificial intelligence) systems and copyright, the DPIIT formed a committee on April 28, 2025.

The eight-member panel was headed by additional secretary in the department, Himani Pande. It also consists of legal experts, representatives from industry, and academia.

It was tasked to identify the issues raised by AI systems, examine the existing regulatory framework, assess its adequacy, and recommend changes if necessary, besides preparing a working paper for consultation with stakeholders.

The second paper will be on "copyrightability of AI generated content, and its authorship. How transformative AI work is," Pande told reporters here.

The Committee was tasked with evaluating whether the existing legal framework on copyright adequately addresses the issues raised by this new technology or amendments to the law are required, and to give its recommendations.

It was also tasked with preparing a working paper outlining the committee's analysis and recommendations.

According to the first paper, generative AI has immense potential to transform the world for the better, underscoring the need for a regulatory environment that supports its development.

However, the processes by which the AI systems are trained, often using copyrighted materials without authorisation from copyright holders and the nature of the outputs that they generate, have sparked an important debate around copyright law.

It said that the central challenge lies in how to protect the copyright in the underlying human-created works, without stifling technological advancement.