The Dialogue’s latest study draws global lessons to propose a pragmatic, innovation-friendly framework for AI and copyright policy
The Dialogue, a leading public policy think tank working at the intersection of technology, law, and society, has released a comprehensive new report examining how India can strike a principled and future‑ready balance between accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and safeguarding copyright interests.
Titled “Policy Prescriptions for Balancing AI and Copyright Concerns,” the report offers a comprehensive global compass, analyzing how major jurisdictions are approaching AI training and copyright and distilling practical lessons for India’s rapidly growing AI and creative ecosystems.
Drawing on a detailed review of legal frameworks in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, China, Japan, and Singapore, the report maps the diverse legal approaches for AI training, highlighting their respective strengths, limitations, and real‑world implications. For each jurisdiction studied, it examines the governing legal instruments, their impact on AI training, the opportunities they create for innovators, rightsholders, and the public, as well as the risks and unresolved legal questions that remain. This comparative framework is designed to help Indian policymakers learn from international experience while avoiding regulatory pitfalls that could either stifle innovation or erode creator protections.
Building on this analysis, the report sets out a set of forward‑looking policy prescriptions tailored to India. Key recommendations include enacting a broad, technologically neutral statutory exception for text and data mining that covers both commercial and non‑commercial AI training; exploring the feasibility of voluntary opt-outs; promoting metadata and attribution standards to support responsible data sourcing; and adopting a guidance‑first regulatory approach that prioritizes best‑effort compliance over punitive enforcement. The report also emphasizes the importance of addressing downstream harms, such as deepfakes, voice cloning, and unauthorized use of likeness, through targeted safeguards and output‑focused regulation.
In addition to policy guidance for policymakers, the report outlines practical steps for AI developers and rightsholders alike. It encourages developers to strengthen dataset provenance practices, filter out clearly pirated content, and pursue selective licensing where risks are highest. At the same time, it encourages creators to focus enforcement efforts on demonstrable output‑level harm and to explore collaborative, co‑creation models with AI companies that unlock new value for both sectors.
During the report launch, the panelists also reflected on the challenges of the recently released DPIIT report’, particularly its recommendations for a hybrid mandatory licensing model, supplemented by a government-led rate-setting body. Suparna Singh, CEO of Frammer AI said “Enabling innovation and maximum-benefit-for-all have to be the guiding principles for India’s approach to its AI–copyright framework if we want Indian companies to have a fair chance at competing internationally. Mandatory licensing or government-determined pricing, however well-intentioned, rarely work. The market will- and should – determine what content or data is worthy of use, and how much it should cost.”.
Sanjay Sidhwani, CEO, The Indian Express Digital stated, “There is broad alignment on acknowledging copyright, infringement, and need for compensation, but the proposed approach risks oversimplifying a deeply complex issue. In news, for instance, the value of archival content varies enormously: a century-old newspaper may carry unique historical exclusivity, while recent decades are far more saturated, yet compensation methodology won’t distinguish between historical archives and recently created content. A one-size-fits-all framework cannot reflect these realities.”
Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy, Country Manager-India, Business Software Alliance (BSA) also mentioned, “India’s AI strategy must be anchored in accelerating AI adoption across sectors and enterprises of all sizes, because adoption and development are interconnected. Users adopt AI only when it delivers value, and without adoption, innovation itself stalls. As the government has rightly recognised through the IndiaAI Mission, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for India to leapfrog in AI development and deployment. At the same time, policy must remain grounded in technical and economic realities. The assumption that individual works used in large-scale model training can be precisely identified, valued, and remunerated, that too retrospectively, raises serious feasibility concerns. AI models are trained on millions of data points transformed into abstract representations, where the marginal value of any single dataset is obscure. Supporting innovation therefore requires a balanced framework, one that enables responsible AI training and adoption while avoiding jumping to regulatory approaches that could unintentionally slow industry and undermine India’s AI momentum.”
All panellists emphasised the importance of sustained multistakeholder engagements before any policy direction is finalised. Through its report, The Dialogue seeks to advance a balanced, evidence-based approach and also aims to reframe the AI‑copyright debate away from zero‑sum conflict and toward constructive solutions that support innovation, creativity, and public interest together.
The full report, “Policy Prescriptions for Balancing AI and Copyright Concerns,” is now available on The Dialogue’s website:
