Microsoft has announced a new policy called the Copilot Copyright Commitment, aimed at protecting its customers from copyright infringement lawsuits. The policy provides legal protection to customers who are sued for copyright infringement over content generated by Microsoft’s AI systems. This announcement comes as concerns have been raised about generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, reproducing copyrighted material without proper attribution.
The Copilot Copyright Commitment is an expansion of Microsoft’s existing intellectual property indemnification coverage. The company has heavily invested in AI through products like GitHub Copilot and Bing Chat, which have the capability to generate original code, text, and images on demand. These AI models acquire their capabilities by scraping publicly available data from the internet without express permission from copyright holders.
To address the legal concerns surrounding generative AI, Microsoft aims to give its customers confidence in using its AI systems without worrying about potential copyright issues. The policy covers damages and legal fees, providing an added layer of protection as generative AI becomes more widely adopted. Microsoft will assume responsibility for potential legal risks if customers are challenged on copyright grounds.
The Copilot Copyright Commitment applies to customers using Copilot, Bing Chat, and other AI services, as long as they adhere to the built-in guardrails. As the rise of generative AI raises questions about properly crediting or licensing copyrighted source material used in training AI models, legal experts predict that copyright issues related to generative AI will likely be decided through future legislation and court cases.
It is worth noting that Microsoft has previously faced litigation over Copilot technology. Last year, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the company and OpenAI. However, the current status of the lawsuit is unknown, and it is unclear if the case is still active.
Overall, Microsoft’s announcement of the Copilot Copyright Commitment aims to address concerns related to copyright infringement in generative AI and provide legal protection to its customers. With this new policy, Microsoft hopes to encourage the use of its AI systems without the fear of potential copyright issues.
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