Copyright theft by AI? Don't mix up creativity and dissemination

It's the unauthorized distribution of a work that amounts to infringement and not its mere creation

- Nikhil Narendran

Voltaire and William Ralph Inge may have differed on whether originality was nothing but undetected plagiarism or judicious imitation. Tarantino openly proclaimed that he steals from every movie he has seen, while David Bowie had famously remarked that he only studied art he could steal from.

No human being is born inherently creative. Our creativity is fostered by the literature, art and various cultural stimuli that we consume. Every original work of art, literature or music that we create is invariably influenced by the countless works we have experienced.

Yet, we reward this perceived originality as creativity, granting copyright protections to such works that are deemed original. Historically, the copyright industry emerged as a powerful force during the Industrial Revolution, significantly contributing to wealth creation and democratizing access to knowledge.

Amid this focus on protection and reward, we sometimes overlook the core aim of copyright law, which is to encourage access to knowledge. Our legal systems already include measures such as copyright term limits, fair dealing and compulsory licensing provisions.