Copyright Licensing in the AI Age

If you’re reading this post, it’s likely you spend a considerable amount of time online. But even with casual internet usage, it’s hard to escape the accelerated rise of artificial intelligence, particularly when it comes to apps like ChatGPT and others, like Google’s Gemini. And if you haven’t used them yourself, it’s even more likely that you have seen trending posts of people sharing AI-generated content and more hopping on the bandwagon. 

Whether you knowingly or unknowingly engage, AI is changing the way people interact with and understand the world around them. Authors are far from immune to copyright infringement under ordinary circumstances, but now, the need to protect intellectual property is gaining greater importance. If you’re on the fence about taking the necessary steps to prevent your work from being used for training AI models, there are a few key reasons that could inspire you to take action starting . . . well, now. 

1. Freedom of Choice 

Without human-generated text, AI models would not be successful. They depend on text written by humans to gain what they need to operate. By taking official steps to protect your work and establishing boundaries around how it can be consumed, you maintain control. As an author, you spend a great deal of time pouring your passion into your writing and a copyright license honors that commitment by not allowing it to go unnoticed and offering security. 

The legality of a copyright license also establishes authority. While some writers may see the value in AI, others may be less willing to have their work used for this purpose for a number of reasons, ranging from privacy concerns to questions about its ethical practices. A copyright license ensures that without your permission, your work cannot be used to train AI models, and in a world where it is increasingly harder to maintain control, for some, obtaining copyright releases is paramount in the publishing process. 

2. Fair Compensation

Writers are some of the most passionate people when it comes to their profession and possess a natural love for the written word they share with many, but that does not mean they are any less deserving of fair pay. They sacrifice time, resources, and sometimes even their own money to get their work published. Without the insurance of a copyright license, those sacrifices are threatened to be exploited by others, including AI. And with the threat rising given the digital landscape today, authors cannot afford for their work to be manipulated without their explicit authority. 

Intellectual property is still property that deserves to be recognized and its original owner compensated for its use. The legal framework established between a writer and a user guarantees that compensation is awarded. 

3. Protection of Human Creativity 

In a world where resources like AI are just a few clicks away, the impulse of using other outlets to express creativity is at an all-time high. Humans have become more dependent on tools that use their own ideas as the fuel that turns them into reality. For some, this works and even offers inspiration that could be used for future projects, but for others, there is no substitute for human creativity. Licensing writing under a copyright represents respect for the creator and the hard work that went into getting it published. 

Human creativity is incentivized with a copyright license, and today, that means more now than it did when it first offered authors the security of truly owning the rights to their work. 

No matter where you stand on the AI issue, pursuing a copyright license can only benefit you as a writer, if you value its purpose and seek to safeguard the words most precious to you. 

-Demi Guillory

For writers in the US, a great place to start with a literary copyright is Copyright.gov, the official site for filing for copyrights for performing arts, visual art, literary works, and other digital content. Simply go to the website, select “Literary Works,” under the registration tab, then scroll down to the button that says “register a literary work.” You will create an account, fill out the required information, and complete a payment of $45-65. Copyright registration does require you to send a copy of your published work, which can be a print copy or a digital PDF.