Hollywood and Bollywood Stakeholders Urge Indian Panel to Safeguard Creative Content from AI Models

Hollywood and Bollywood stakeholders are actively lobbying an Indian government panel to strengthen copyright protections in response to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which increasingly rely on copyrighted content for training purposes. Letters and communications from the entertainment industry reveal a growing concern that AI firms could exploit intellectual property, including videos, images, and clips, to train AI models without proper authorization, threatening the financial and creative interests of content creators globally. The lobbying effort highlights the urgency felt by content owners, who are witnessing disputes with AI companies on a global scale. Governments worldwide are moving quickly to establish regulations governing AI use of copyrighted materials. While countries like Japan provide broad exemptions allowing AI companies to use copyrighted content, the European Union has adopted stricter rules, granting content owners the right to opt out of such usage, demonstrating the divergent approaches being explored internationally.

The Indian film and entertainment industry is particularly concerned about AI scraping copyrighted content from online platforms, including promotional materials, trailers, and even pirated content, potentially incorporating them into AI datasets. Current Indian copyright law does not explicitly address AI usage, leaving a regulatory gap that could expose content owners to exploitation. Recognizing this challenge, the Indian government formed a panel earlier this year, comprising lawyers, government officials, and industry executives, to review whether existing copyright provisions are sufficient to address AI-related disputes and to make recommendations on potential legislative adjustments.

Industry stakeholders, including the Motion Picture Association (MPA)—representing major studios such as Warner Bros, Paramount, and Netflix—and the Producers Guild of India, have emphasized the need to preserve existing copyright protections rather than introduce blanket exemptions for AI training. These organizations advocate for a licensing regime that would allow creators to retain control over their intellectual property while enabling AI innovation under mutually agreed terms. In correspondence with the panel, the MPA cautioned that allowing unrestricted AI training on copyrighted materials could undermine the incentive to create new works, erode copyright protections, and weaken the legal framework that sustains the creative economy.

In an August 2 letter submitted to the panel, Uday Singh, Managing Director of MPA India, argued that unrestricted AI access to copyrighted works could destabilize the Indian creative industry, reducing the motivation for authors, artists, and studios to invest in original content. He urged that copyright law be maintained robustly and complemented by a formal licensing framework to ensure that AI-driven innovation does not come at the cost of creative rights.

The lobbying effort underscores a global challenge as AI technologies develop rapidly, outpacing legal frameworks. Content owners worldwide are navigating a delicate balance: supporting AI-driven technological progress while safeguarding their intellectual property from unauthorized exploitation. As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent and the lines between human-created and machine-generated media blur, India’s approach to copyright and AI will have significant implications for the local entertainment sector and potentially set a precedent for other countries facing similar challenges.

In summary, Hollywood and Bollywood groups are pressing for stricter copyright protections in India to prevent AI firms from using creative works without authorization. They advocate for licensing regimes over blanket exemptions, citing the risk to creative incentives and existing legal protections. The government panel’s review and subsequent recommendations will play a critical role in shaping India’s regulatory framework for AI and copyrighted content, ensuring a balance between innovation and the protection of intellectual property. This initiative reflects broader global trends in addressing the intersection of AI and creative industries.