Australian creator groups have welcomed the passage of the Copyright Amendment Bill, which introduces the country's first orphan works scheme and clarifies that classroom copyright exceptions apply equally online.
Both reforms had the support of creator groups -- MPAL, APRA AMCOS, ARIA PPCA, Australian Publishers Association, Australian Society of Authors, Australian Writers' Guild, AWG Authorship Collecting Society, Copyright Agency, National Association for the Visual Arts and Screenrights -- and passed as intended following years of consultation.
The orphan works scheme provides certainty for researchers, educators and cultural institutions working with material where copyright owners cannot be identified.
Creator groups flagged concern that the same education lobby that sought amendments to the bill has also argued in submissions to the Senate Adopting AI inquiry that Australia's copyright framework is a barrier to AI development.
They said this position mirrors that of multinational technology companies and could be used to justify reducing licensing payments to creators.
Australia's education licensing scheme covers all copyright material for just under $30 per student per year, giving students access to every book, song, image, article, film and play ever made, with teachers able to copy, share and stream content in any format without seeking further permission.
"The education sector spends more on cleaning schools than it pays to access the entirety of human creative output," the statement said.
"This is a scheme that works for students, for teachers and for creators."
Creator groups said the Australian Government had reiterated that AI development using others' content must comply with current laws including licensing arrangements, and that any exception would deny payment to creators entirely.
"What we will not accept is the steady, incremental dismantling of the framework that makes Australian creative life possible,” the groups said.
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