Free TV Welcomes Government Decision to Rule Out Text and Data Mining Exception – Free TV Australia has welcomed the Government’s decision to rule out a text and data mining (TDM) exception to copyright, describing it as an important outcome for Australian content creators and the news media sector.
Introducing a TDM exception would have legalised unauthorised content theft by artificial intelligence providers, with multinational Big Tech platforms becoming the primary beneficiaries at the expense of Australian news media and creative industries.
Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said the Government had made the right call in protecting the foundations of Australia’s creative and news sectors.
“The Government has recognised that we don’t need to weaken copyright protections to drive innovation – quite the opposite,”
Ms Fair said.
“Current copyright law already creates the right environment for negotiations between rightsholders and technology companies through proper licensing frameworks. A TDM exception would have undermined these frameworks and legitimised the use of Australian content to train AI systems without express permission or payment to copyright holders. The Government has rightly concluded that productivity growth should not come at the expense of the local news media and creative sectors that underpin Australian democracy and culture.
“Commercially negotiated licensing agreements – supported by meaningful transparency requirements – will deliver better outcomes across the board. Australian technology companies will gain access to high-quality licensed data, ensuring confidence in AI outputs and genuine productivity improvements. News organisations and content creators will be able to licence their copyright material to receive fair compensation for their work. This approach strengthens both our creative industries and our technology sector.”
Free TV continues to support enforceable transparency rules for major AI platforms operating in Australia and has called for the ACCC to conduct a market study into the AI market to support proper oversight and enforcement of Australian law.
Media Release – Free TV
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Free TV Welcomes Government Decision to Rule Out Text and Data Mining Exception
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