OpenAI Introduces Copyright Shield to Protect Customers Against Copyright Claims

• OpenAI

To address growing concerns around copyright infringement, OpenAI has announced that it will step in to defend businesses using its products against such claims. This move comes as part of a new program named 'Copyright Shield.'

 "In a world where AI is increasingly shaping business strategies, OpenAI's move to protect its customers against copyright claims marks a significant shift in how AI companies address IP concerns."

A Closer Look at the Copyright Shield

Under this program, OpenAI has pledged to cover the legal costs that might be incurred by customers who face lawsuits over intellectual property (IP) claims against work generated by an OpenAI tool. This protection, however, is not universal and appears to be limited to customers using the 'generally available' features of OpenAI's developer platform and ChatGPT Enterprise, the business tier of its AI-powered ChatGPT chatbot.

Unveiling the Copyright Shield

In a blog post shared with TechCrunch, OpenAI stated,

"OpenAI is committed to protecting our customers with built-in copyright safeguards in our systems."

The company has proactively incorporated safeguards in its generative AI models, such as ChatGPT, GPT-4, and DALL-E 3. These models 'learn' from examples to craft essays and code, create artwork and compose music, and even write lyrics to accompany that music.

Addressing Intellectual Property Concerns

The introduction of the Copyright Shield comes in response to the growing apprehension around the use of generative AI. According to a recent survey of Fortune 500 companies by Acrolinx, nearly a third expressed that intellectual property was their biggest concern about using generative AI. Another survey revealed that nine out of 10 developers considered IP protection as a significant factor when deciding to use generative AI.

OpenAI Joins the League

Several AI vendors, including IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Getty Images, Shutterstock, and Adobe, have previously pledged to defend their generative AI customers against IP rights claims, both financially and otherwise. With the introduction of Copyright Shield, OpenAI has now joined this league, demonstrating its commitment to protecting its customers' interests.