Govt sets up panel on AI and Copyright; DNPA backs fair use push

The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) has welcomed the Indian government’s move to examine the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on copyright law. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has constituted a multi-stakeholder committee to explore whether the Copyright Act, 1957, is equipped to address the rise of AI-generated content.

The committee, chaired by Himani Pande, Additional Secretary at DPIIT, will bring together experts from government, industry, and academia to study the legal and policy issues surrounding AI’s role in content creation. Simrat Kaur, Director of Copyright, Design, and CIPAM, will serve as the committee's Convenor.

Other members include Anurag Kumar from MeitY, Chockalingam M and Sudipto Bannerjee from NASSCOM, IP attorneys Ameet Datta and Adarsh Ramanujan, and Professor Raman Mittal of Delhi University.

In an official statement, DNPA praised the initiative and emphasized the need to protect the rights of digital content producers in the age of AI. Sujata Gupta, Secretary General, DNPA said, " “Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) welcomes the initiative of the Department of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry to conduct a review of the intersection between copyright and AI technologies and in seeking stakeholder feedback and concerns."

Gupta further said, "DNPA firmly believes that utilizing the content of digital news publishers, without consent, for AI training and subsequent generative AI applications, such as search assistance and information purposes, constitutes an infringement of copyright. The association advocates for a regime that ensures fair compensation for content producers, recognizing their rights in the digital landscape.Any initiative of the Government of India to ensure fair play in this regard is vital for the growth of Digital News Media sector in the country."

DNPA looks forward to working with the Ministry to formulate a fair and balanced regime that allows for fair compensation for content producers while allowing for AI models to build and evolve. She added.

According to DPIIT’s office memorandum, the committee will:

Identify legal and policy challenges posed by AI in copyright contexts

Assess whether the current Copyright Act is adequate

Recommend amendments if needed

Produce a working paper summarizing its findings

This marks the government’s first formal step toward aligning copyright law with the rapid evolution of generative AI tools — which are increasingly used to create images, text, music, and more by drawing on existing copyrighted content. Currently, India’s legal framework does not clarify authorship or ownership of machine-generated works.

While the committee’s working paper won’t itself constitute reform, it is expected to influence the direction of future legislation and signal how proactively India plans to address the copyright challenges posed by AI.