Archive · 11 Dec 2025
India Proposes AI Training Licensing Framework
India has proposed a new rule that would make big AI companies pay for using people's creative work, like articles, movies, and music, to train their AI.
Right now, these companies use this content without asking or paying.
India's plan would create a special license that AI companies must buy to use copyrighted material.
In return, they would pay a fee that would go to the creators.
This fee would only be charged when the AI is used for business.
The plan also allows creators to say no if they don't want their work used by AI.
Some people think this is a good idea because it protects creators, but others worry it might be hard to put into practice.
India proposes a statutory licensing regime for AI training on copyrighted material.
AI companies must obtain a license and pay royalties upon commercialization of AI models.
A new entity, the Copyright Royalties Collective for AI Training (CRCAT), will set and distribute royalties.
Content owners retain the right to opt-out, preventing blanket access to all content.
Implementation challenges include retroactive royalty payments and the need for fair valuation of creative work.
- Who
- India's government, AI companies, creators (writers, journalists, filmmakers, artists, musicians)
- What
- Proposal for a statutory licensing regime for AI training on copyrighted material
- When
- Draft framework proposed in December 2025
- Where
- India
- Why
- To ensure creators are compensated for the use of their work in AI training
- Proposed Licensing Regime
- Statutory licensing for AI training on copyrighted material
- Royalty Payment
- Triggered upon commercialization of AI models
- Copyright Royalties Collective for AI Training (CRCAT)
- New entity to set and distribute royalties
- Opt-Out Clause
- Content owners retain the right to refuse AI training access
- Implementation Challenge
- Complexity of retroactive royalty payments
- Flat Royalty Rates
- Proposed for early implementation
- Category-Based Royalty Pools
- Future consideration for fair valuation of creative work
Sources
AI giants must pay for dipping into creative commons
AI copyright blueprint: pragmatism over rigidity
Explainer: The urgent need to balance AI training needs and copyrights
DPIIT Panel To Release Second Working Paper on AI, Copyrights In 2 Months
Govt set to release second working paper on copyrightability of AI generated content
AI firms to pay part of global revenue as royalty for using content of Indian creators: DPIIT officials
