Australia’s creative and media sectors assembled in Canberra this month to press for a licensing model that would require commercial AI developers to obtain permission before using Australian copyrighted works to train their systems. The gathering, held at Parliament House, brought together ministers, parliamentarians, officials and executives to deliberate how copyright should govern the rise of generative AI. (Sources: ABC, IT Brief).

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland and Senator Sarah Henderson opened the event, which organisers billed as a forum on policy choices for artificial intelligence and cultural industries. According to those involved, the conference united music, publishing, screen, television and news organisations that argued licensing offers a commercially viable route for AI firms to access creative content without eroding existing rights. (Sources: IT Brief, ABC).

The Canberra debate unfolded against a clear government position: in October 2025 Australia declined to introduce a broad text and data mining exception to the Copyright Act, a move that prevents AI developers from automatically using protected works for model training. The decision has been framed by officials and many creators as a way to balance innovation with the need for creators to be paid, and a working group has been established to explore alternative measures for AI-related challenges. (Sources: ABC, DundasLawyers, ACS, Marketing-Interactive).

Speakers at the event pointed to a growing roster of commercial agreements as evidence that licensing can scale across sectors. Delegates cited deals already announced between technology platforms and media owners in Australia and overseas as practical examples of how payment arrangements can be struck between rights holders and AI companies. At the same time some in the tech industry have warned the restrictions could complicate model development. (Sources: IT Brief, The Guardian).

"We didn't defeat piracy by turning off the internet. Ultimately, we prevailed because streamers built a better product than piracy. That's what we hope to do with AI," Jonathan Dworkin of Universal Music Group said in his address, urging the industry to develop lawful, competitive offerings. Rebecca Costello of The Guardian Australia and New Zealand warned of the economic consequences for journalism if reporting were assimilated into AI systems without compensation: "We invest everything in journalism. When that work is taken and used without compensation, the impact is fewer journalists, fewer newsrooms and less public interest journalism. No market operates when you can take something for free and then charge for it. Licensing is happening and it has to, because the alternative is the erosion of the journalism that feeds these models in the first place." (Sources: IT Brief).

Other contributors highlighted technical and cultural considerations, arguing that existing tools can support identification and licensing of works, while also stressing the need to safeguard distinctive Australian cultural material, including First Nations content. "We actually have the technology we need to license things properly, to protect content and find where everything is. We cannot fall into a homogenised experience of all of our creativity. Australia has something truly unique - a thousand generations of First Nations culture - and we have a responsibility to protect it," composer and creative technologist Charlie Chan said. Panelists also urged clearer market rules and safeguards to bolster public trust in AI. (Sources: IT Brief, ACS).

The Canberra event mirrored a wider international conversation about AI and copyright. Supporters of stronger licensing noted similar shifts in other jurisdictions where lawmakers have been cautious about creating broad training exemptions, while some AI firms have publicly expressed frustration at limits they say could hamper innovation and market entry. The tension between protecting creators and enabling technical progress remains central to the policy choices policymakers now face. (Sources: The Guardian, YouTube).

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Source: Noah Wire Services