State of play · data as of 2026-10-21
AI training and copyright
Can AI be trained on protected works?
Where it's heading
Positions on a five-point scale; see the methodology. Narrowed or overruled decisions are left out.
The law todayDivided
8 jurisdictions
2 only with permission or pay1 allowed with limits5 freely allowed
ProposalsDivided
30 papers
17 only with permission or pay4 allowed with limits9 freely allowed
Who says what
Every source behind each group’s position, including those still pending or taking no position. Open one for the full summary and the primary source.
Law
9 toward freely allowed · 4 toward only with permission or pay · 2 allowed with limits · 17 sources
Policymakers
8 toward only with permission or pay · 2 allowed with limits · 14 sources
Academia
9 toward freely allowed · 7 toward only with permission or pay · 1 allowed with limits · 18 sources
Professional bodies
2 toward only with permission or pay · 1 allowed with limits · 4 sources
Current law, jurisdiction by jurisdiction
The most authoritative decision or act still in force in each jurisdiction. Open Decisions for the full list.
| Jurisdiction | Leading authority | Answer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Thomson Reuters v. Ross (appeal)U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit · 2026 · Appellate court · +3 more | Only with permission or pay | Current |
| European Union | EU AI ActEuropean Parliament and Council · 2024 · Legislation · +1 more | Allowed with limits | Current |
| Germany | Kneschke v. LAION (appeal)Oberlandesgericht Hamburg (Higher Regional Court) · 2025 · Appellate court · +2 more | Closer to freely allowed | Ongoing |
| Netherlands | DPG Media v. HowardsHomeRechtbank Amsterdam (District Court of Amsterdam) · 2024 · First instance | Closer to freely allowed | Ongoing |
| United Kingdom | CDPA section 29A (text and data analysis for non-commercial research)UK Parliament · 2014 · Legislation · +1 more | Closer to only with permission or pay | Current |
| China | Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI ServicesCyberspace Administration of China, with six other authorities · 2023 · Legislation | No position | Current |
| Japan | Copyright Act, Article 30-4National Diet of Japan · 2019 · Legislation · +1 more | Freely allowed | Current |
| India | ANI v. OpenAI (interim order)Delhi High Court · 2026 · First instance | Closer to freely allowed | Ongoing |
| Singapore | Copyright Act 2021, section 244 (computational data analysis)Parliament of Singapore · 2021 · Legislation | Freely allowed | Current |
Options on the table
Proposals from parliaments, governments, universities and professional bodies, ordered by breadth of support. Each source group weighs the same.
1Licensing, voluntary or collective, should be the main route to lawful AI training.
Policymakers 2/12 · Academia 1/34 · Professional bodies 2/6 · 3 take a different line
2Creators should be paid when their work is used to build or run generative AI.
Policymakers 4/12 · Academia 3/34 · Professional bodies 0/6 · 2 take a different line
3Today's opt-out from AI training doesn't work and should be fixed or replaced.
Policymakers 3/12 · Academia 3/34 · Professional bodies 0/6
4AI training on protected works should generally be allowed.
Policymakers 0/12 · Academia 7/34 · Professional bodies 0/6 · 4 take a different line
5Pay creators through a statutory scheme or levy rather than case-by-case licences.
Policymakers 1/12 · Academia 3/34 · Professional bodies 0/6 · 1 take a different line
What's pending
Decisions still under appeal, and policy moves in the last 18 months.
Decisions under appeal
- GEMA v. SunoLandgericht München I (Regional Court) · 2026-07-31 · Not final; open to appeal.
- ANI v. OpenAI (interim order)Delhi High Court · 2026-07-24 · Interim order; the main proceedings continue.
- Kneschke v. LAION (appeal)Oberlandesgericht Hamburg (Higher Regional Court) · 2025-12-10 · Further appeal to the Federal Court of Justice allowed.
- Getty Images v. Stability AIHigh Court of England and Wales · 2025-11-04 · Permission to appeal granted (December 2025).
- DPG Media v. HowardsHomeRechtbank Amsterdam (District Court of Amsterdam) · 2024-10-30 · An appeal has been filed.
Recent policy moves
- European Commission call for evidence on copyright and generative AIEuropean Commission · 2026-05-13
- PACE Resolution 2654: Copyright enforcement in the AI environmentParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe · 2026-04-23
- Darcos bill: presumption of use of works by AI providersFrench Senate · 2026-04-08
- UK Report on Copyright and Artificial IntelligenceUK Government (under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025) · 2026-03-18
- European Parliament resolution on copyright and generative AIEuropean Parliament (rapporteur Axel Voss) · 2026-03-10
- TRAIN ActU.S. Congress (Sen. Welch; bipartisan reintroduction 2026) · 2026-02
- DPIIT working paper on generative AI and copyright (Part 1)Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India · 2025-12-08
- WIPO information sessions on copyright and generative AIWIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR/46, SCCR/47) · 2025-12-04
- Australia rules out a text and data mining exceptionAustralian Government (Attorney-General) · 2025-10-26
- European Parliament study: Generative AI and CopyrightEuropean Parliament, Policy Department (requested by the JURI Committee) · 2025-07-09
- Copyright and AI, Part 3: Generative AI TrainingU.S. Copyright Office · 2025-05-09
- The Development of Generative AI from a Copyright PerspectiveEUIPO (with the European Commission) · 2025-05
- WIPO Conversation on IP and Frontier Technologies (11th session)World Intellectual Property Organization · 2025-04-23
Latest on this topic
A descriptive map of public sources, not legal advice and not a recommendation. Positions are a curated reading, not an exhaustive survey. See the methodology.