Ishan Law Journal

08

December

GENERATIVE AI AND COPYRIGHT LAW: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

Keywords:

Generative AI, Copyright Act, 1957, Authorship and Originality, AI- generated Works, Legal Reforms and Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The invention of artificial intelligence has brought a number of positive changes worldwide, which have made people’s lives simpler. Though with the rapid upsurge of this technology, it has given rise to new challenges that violate copyright laws. Specifically in the context of India, the Copyright Act, 1957, provides a human-centric definition of terms like “author”, which ultimately creates an important legal vacuum. In this paper, I will analyse the crucial legal and policy challenges posed by AI. Also, here the researcher will examine the question of who holds the copyright in case of an AI-generated work. As in the act, the basic requirement is for a human author. The paper will also try to consider the varying levels of human involvement that range from simple text prompts to substantial editing.

References

  1. The Copyright Act, 1957 (India).
  2. Information Technology Act, 2000 (India).
  3. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 (U.K.).
  4. Artificial Intelligence Act, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, 2024 O.J. (L 171) 1.
  5. U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Registration Guidance: Works Containing Material Generated by Artificial Intelligence (Mar. 2023).
  6. Eastern Book Co. v. D.B. Modak, (2008) 1 S.C.C. 1 (India).
  7. Shenzhen Tencent Computer Sys. Co. v. Shanghai Yingxun Tech. Co., Shenzhen Nanshan Dist. People’s Ct. (2019) (China).
  8. Anil Kapoor v. Simply Life India & Ors., CS (COMM) 652/2023 (Del. H.C.) (India).
  9. ANI Media Pvt. Ltd. v. OpenAI Inc., CS (COMM) 1179/2024 (Del. H.C.) (India).
  10. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property Policy Report (2022).
  11. A.R. Rahman, AI-Assisted Music Composition and Copyright Challenges in India, 12(2) Indian J. Intell. Prop. L. 45 (2023).
  12. Pamela Samuelson, Authorship and AI: Rethinking Originality in the Digital Age, 35(3) Berkeley Tech. L.J. 1234 (2020).
  13. Daniel J. Gervais, The Machine as Author, 105 Iowa L. Rev. 2053 (2019).
  14. European Commission, Directive (EU) 2019/790 on Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Single Market, 2019 O.J. (L 130) 92.
  15. S.K. Mohanty & S.A. Bhuyan, The Evolution of Law from MRTP Act to Competition Act, 2 Law Essentials J. 104 (2021).
Authors

Ms. Muskan Prasad

Masters of Law, Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad

PDF
Published Date2025-12-08
Abstract Viewed17
How To SiteMs. Muskan Prasad (2025). Generative AI and Copyright Law: A Comparative Analysis with an Indian Perspective. Ishan Law Journal, 3(06).
IssueVol.3 No. 06 (2025), ISHAN LAW JOURNAL