Digimarc, a software firm, just introduced a service that allows copyright owners to include additional information in their work. This enhancement aims to improve how AI models handle copyright matters within training data.
Digimarc Validate
The newly launched service, known as Digimarc Validate, permits users to embed ownership identification within the metadata. When copyrighted content is in a generative AI-trained dataset, the users can reference the digital watermark containing intellectual property details.
For instance, an image integrated with Digimarc Validate includes a machine-readable © symbol along with information about the copyright owner. Digimarc’s digital watermark detection software, SAFE (Secure, Accurate, Fair, and Efficient), facilitates it.
Digimarc highlighted that a significant portion of the content found in datasets scraped for AI training is, in fact, copyrighted. However, nobody can digitally identify this copyright status. However, generative AI models can now ascertain which data is under copyright protection before incorporating it into their training.
AI Companies and Copyright Ownership
The idea of noting copyright ownership in content metadata appears promising. Still, its effectiveness hinges on AI developers actively avoiding copyrighted content when training their models. Presently, AI companies do not have a stand from refraining from using copyrighted material in their training datasets. Nevertheless, maintaining a digital record of copyright could empower creators to assert copyright infringement if AI developers intentionally violate these protections.
Certain AI companies, such as Adobe, stated their exclusive use of licensed data for training purposes. OpenAI has taken steps to allow websites to block its web crawler, preventing the collection of data for training. Microsoft declared its readiness to assume legal responsibility should commercial customers using its Copilot products face copyright infringement lawsuits.
Several of the initial legal actions against generative AI model developers revolve around the complex matter of copyright infringement.
The US Copyright Office on AI and Copyright Worries
To facilitate a more effective approach to AI and copyright concerns, the US Copyright Office initiated a public comment period on August 30th to gain insights into the public’s apprehensions.
While AI companies have made commitments to the White House regarding the development of watermarks, these watermarks primarily serve the purpose of identifying AI-generated content.
Digimarc Validate Price
Digimarc Validate is now available for commercial use, with pricing starting at $399 per month. Enterprise customers can collaborate with the company to explore customized pricing options.
The featured image is from digimarc.com
