The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) welcome the Albanese Government’s announcement that it will not introduce a Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception into Australian copyright law.
Annabelle Herd, CEO of ARIA and PPCA, said: “ This decision reinforces Australia’s commitment to its artists and creative industries, ensuring that consent, control, and compensation remain at the heart of copyright in the age of artificial intelligence. It recognises the inherent value of Australian creativity and culture, including First Nations Culture. It recognises that copyright and IP laws are the foundation of the creative economy, the digital economy, and the technology industry.
“The Government has made the right call in rejecting a TDM exception, and we sincerely thank Attorney-General Michelle Rowland for standing firmly to uphold copyright law, but also for making the commonsense decision: to back the rights of artists, authors, creators, and rights-holders over a small group of large, powerful tech companies.
“The next step is making sure these principles are applied in practice. Through the Copyright and AI Reference Group (CAIRG), we will be in Canberra to make the case for keeping Australia’s cultural sovereignty intact. We will be there with artists and industry leaders to ensure creators’ voices shape the future of copyright and technology.
“Make no mistake: it is not for tech giants to determine how creator’s IP is utilised, even in negotiation. There are no grounds for new loopholes or amendments that diminish a creator’s right to transparency and permission over how their work is used. Protecting that agency is how we build a creative economy that continues to grow, inspire and compete globally.
“The current copyright licensing structures are proven and reliable, but also flexible, fast and supportive of creativity and innovation. IP laws are what tech companies rely on to protect and monetise their products and they drive innovation. The growing number of music licensing deals with ethical AI companies make that irrefutable.
“We should not be considering new models or creating loopholes, we should be upholding the laws that already sustain thousands of jobs and exports.”
