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What the official copyright offices say about AI

Reviewed on 12 November 2026

Photo: ykaiavu on Pixabay

These offices publish a lot on AI. Most of it is policy work in progress, not rules you can follow like a recipe. Here's what each has put out, and where it stands.

How to check what an office saysOpen the office's own AI pageNote the date and versionCheck final or draftAsk a professional before relying
A habit that stops you relying on out-of-date pages.

United States: the Copyright Office

  • A report in several parts. The Office's AI page says the report is being issued in parts.1

  • Part 1: digital replicas. The Office published Part 1 on July 31, 2024. It covers digital replicas, meaning AI copies of a person's look or voice.1

  • Part 2: copyrightability. It came out on January 29, 2025, and addresses whether outputs from generative AI can be protected. Start here for ownership questions.1

  • Part 3: AI training. The Office released a pre-publication version on May 9, 2025, in response to congressional inquiries. It says "A final version of Part 3 will be published in the future, without any substantive changes expected in the analysis or conclusions".1

United Kingdom: the government consultation

  • A consultation, now closed. It ran from "10:30am on 17 December 2024" to "11:59pm on 25 February 2025".2

  • It asked about more than training. Computer-generated works were on the list, as the page puts it: "copyright protection for computer-generated works".2

  • A report followed. The page notes that a report and impact assessment on using copyright works to develop AI systems have now been published. Read that report for where policy stands, not this summary.2

Australia: IP Australia and the Attorney-General's Department

Copyright policy sits with the Attorney-General's Department. IP Australia reports on it.

  • A standing group. A Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Reference Group, or CAIRG, was announced on 5 December 2023.3

  • Three priorities. The first is looking at licensing as a way to use copyright material in AI.3

  • Clearer rules for AI-made material. The second is making it clearer how copyright law applies to material generated with AI.3

  • Enforcement costs. The third is cost. The department is "exploring avenues for less costly enforcement in relation to AI outputs-related infringement".4

  • One firm statement. The department records that "the government is not considering a text and data mining exception in Australian copyright law".4

How to read all this

  • Reports aren't law. A report or consultation shows what an office is thinking. Only the law and the courts settle your rights.

  • Look at the dates. Pages change. Check each office's page yourself before you rely on anything here.

  • Expect gaps. None of these pages gives a small business a step-by-step answer for a particular piece of work. They describe the questions the offices are working on.

  • Use the official page, not a summary. Each office's own page is the place to see the current status. Links to all of them sit under the notes on this page.

  • Match the page to your question. Who owns output is covered in who owns work made with an AI tool. Training is in AI training data and copyright.

This site gives general information only. For advice on your situation, ask a lawyer.

Notes and sources

  1. Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, U.S. Copyright Office
  2. Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, UK Intellectual Property Office, DSIT and DCMS
  3. Key copyright policy priorities, IP Australia
  4. Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Reference Group (CAIRG), Attorney-General's Department (Australia)

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