AI Trains, Creators Gain

In a landmark decision on January 28, 2026, the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament endorsed a series of proposals aimed at regulating the use of copyrighted content by generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This initiative seeks to ensure transparency, legal certainty, and fair compensation for creators whose works are utilized in training such technologies.

The committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of the resolutions with 17 members supporting, three opposing, and two abstaining. The proposals emphasize the necessity for AI providers and deployers to disclose the copyrighted materials used in training their systems and to maintain comprehensive records of their data crawling activities. A failure to adhere to these transparency guidelines could lead to copyright infringement charges.

Furthermore, the MEPs advocated for the implementation of mechanisms that would allow rightsholders to opt out of the use of their content by AI systems. They also called for the European Commission to consider compensation for past uses of copyrighted works and rejected the notion of a global license that would allow AI providers to use copyrighted materials in exchange for a flat-rate payment.

The report also touches on the protection of the news media sector and individual rights, urging for measures against the selective aggregation of news by AI systems, which can undermine media pluralism and redirect their traffic and revenues. Additionally, the MEPs highlighted the need for regulations to protect individuals against manipulated and AI-generated content.

The proposed measures will be presented for a vote in the full parliamentary session in March. Rapporteur Axel Voss remarked, “Generative AI must not operate outside the rule of law. If copyrighted works are used to train AI systems, creators are entitled to transparency, legal certainty, and fair compensation. Innovation cannot come at the expense of copyright; both can and must coexist.” This initiative underscores the EU’s aim to foster innovation while safeguarding the core principles of intellectual property.