Diskurs

Berlin, 26 November 2024: The 12th International Copyright Conference organized by the Initiative Urheberrecht (Authors’ Rights Initiative) made a significant contribution to the global discussion on Generative Artificial Intelligence and its impact on copyright and society. Leading experts, academics, policymakers and practitioners took part in the conference. There was great demand for the live stream, which enabled around several hundred interested parties worldwide to tune in. Both live streams - in German and English - are still available (LINKS below).

In addition to numerous presentations on current topics in the field of artificial intelligence regulation, the event also provided a platform for innovative solutions. Thomas Heldrup (Danish Rights Alliance) and Ellen Stutzman (Writers' Guild of America/West) shed light on the strategies of rights holders outside Germany. Dr. Kai Welp (GEMA) reported on new licensing models, with particular attention being paid to GEMA's lawsuit against OpenAI. Hannah Möllers emphasized the importance of human journalistic services for democracy and discourse in a business dominated by monopolies, which was a recurring theme throughout the day: “The protection of intellectual property is not a “nice to have” - it is an essential component of our democracy.”

The ongoing stakeholder process at European level on the draft code of conduct for providers of generative AI was highlighted by Prof Dr. Alexander Peukert (Chairman of the copyright working group) and comments from Dr. Meyer-Seitz (German Ministry of Justice) and Dr. Schulz-Hombach (German Commissioner for Culture and the Media). The high expectations of these practical guidelines must be orientated towards the framework and limits of European AI law. Transparency requirements for AI providers will strongly influence the possibilities of rights holders to defend their intellectual property in court proceedings in the future.

The various perspectives from the fields of illustration, art, photography, acting and literary translation also led to lively discussions and insights into current practice. The influence of generative AI is already clearly noticeable here in economic terms. Sarah Gorf-Roloff from the Illustrators' Organisation emphasised: “At its core, generative AI cannot distinguish between fact and fiction.”

Computer scientist and philosopher Jürgen Geuter summarized at the end: “We must learn not to treat AI as a product, but to engage with the process of human creation.” Matthias Hornschuh, spokesperson for the Authors´ Rights Initiative, summarized that there is no collapse in demand, but rather a 100% demand for all digital works and services available online; under this condition, withholding a share of the value creation from the creators is “expropriation”: “Where a market could develop, we are granted neither consent nor remuneration. But a failing market must be regulated by the state, otherwise there is a risk of state failure. It's time to take this seriously and take action.“

To take a look

DE: https://urheber.info/konferenz-2024

EN: https://urheber.info/conference-2024