eco – Association of the Internet Industry: Europe’s AI Innovation Needs Legal Certainty in Copyright Law

Ahead of the European Parliament's vote on the report on artificial intelligence and copyright, eco - Association of the Internet Industry points out that the existing European legal framework already provides a balanced basis for AI development and the protection of rights holders. The key priority now is to maintain regulatory stability and avoid creating additional legal uncertainty.

Stable legal framework for innovation and competitiveness

"Artificial intelligence is a key driver of innovation, economic competitiveness and digital sovereignty in Europe. Above all, this requires a reliable and technologically realistic legal framework," explains Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board of eco - Association of the Internet Industry.

From the perspective of the Internet industry, the current European copyright law - particularly with the text and data mining provisions of the DSM Directive - already provides a functioning balance between promoting innovation and protecting rights holders. The possibility for rights holders to object to the use of their content via machine-readable opt-out mechanisms - such as robots.txt - has proven to be practical and effective.

"This system makes it possible to use large amounts of data for AI training while at the same time respecting the interests of rights holders. At the same time, market-based partnerships between technology companies and rights holders are already emerging, creating new remuneration models and additional sources of income," says Süme.

Avoiding new legal uncertainties

eco warns against reopening fundamental copyright compromises and thereby creating long-term legal uncertainty for companies. Clear and practicable rules are crucial, especially for European start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises, in order to develop innovations and compete internationally.

"Europe is already facing intense global competition with other AI hubs. Additional regulatory uncertainties could slow down investment in AI development and shift innovation to other regions," emphasises Süme.

Further strengthening innovation-friendly conditions

eco therefore advocates further developing the existing legal framework without calling its core principles into question. The aim should be to enable innovation, promote investment in AI and, at the same time, ensure appropriate participation by rights holders.

"If Europe wants to harness its technological and economic potential in the AI age, copyright rules must be practicable, scalable and innovation-friendly," Süme concludes.