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View all search resultsPress groups defend copyright proposal after Google pushback
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Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words “Artificial Intelligence“ (AI) in this illustration created on Feb. 19, 2024. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic)
P
ress groups have renewed calls to recognize journalistic works under Indonesia’s Copyright Law after Google criticized a proposed amendment, arguing that stronger legal protection is needed to safeguard publishers’ and journalists’ economic rights as generative artificial intelligence transforms the news industry.
The push comes as the House of Representatives’s Legislation Body (Baleg) prepares to resume deliberations on revisions to the 2014 Copyright Law, which would, for the first time classify journalistic works as copyrighted creations.
The proposal has been welcomed by media organizations, which argue that existing laws, including the Press Law and the Broadcasting Law, regulate journalism as a profession but do not explicitly recognize news content as copyrightable intellectual property.
The Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) said such recognition had become increasingly “urgent” as AI-powered platforms and search engines increasingly rely on journalistic content while media organizations continue to bear the costs of producing it.
“Information is not obtained by journalists and media companies for free. There is a process that requires investment, but platforms and AI systems freely crawl journalistic content without compensation or permission,” LBH Pers executive director Mustafa Layong told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Read also: Copyright and journalism
The calls follow Google’s criticism of the draft bill, which the company said would impose “rigid” obligations on digital platforms that could restrict access to information, undermine innovation and discourage investment in Indonesia’s AI ecosystem.
