Microsoft to Assume Legal Responsibility for Copyright Infringement Claims Related to Copilot

Microsoft has announced that it will assume legal responsibility if its commercial customers are sued for copyright infringement while using the company's AI Copilot services. The Copilot Copyright Commitment is an extension of Microsoft's overall AI customer commitments, announced earlier this year.

In a blog post, Microsoft chief legal officer Brad Smith said the company made the decision to assume legal responsibility for three reasons:

• To stand behind customers when they use Microsoft's services.
• To address the concerns of copyright holders.
• To ensure that Copilot is used responsibly.

Smith said that Microsoft has built guardrails into Copilot to help prevent it from generating text that infringes on copyrights. These guardrails include:

• A filter that blocks Copilot from generating text that is similar to text that is already in the public domain.
• A system that allows users to flag text that they believe may infringe on copyrights.

If a commercial customer is sued for copyright infringement while using Copilot, Microsoft will defend the customer and pay any damages that are awarded. However, the customer must have used the guardrails that Microsoft has put in place.

Smith said that Microsoft is committed to working with copyright holders to ensure that Copilot is used responsibly. He also said that Microsoft is committed to the development of generative AI, but that it is important to do so in a way that respects copyrights.

The Copilot Copyright Commitment is a significant step towards addressing the concerns of copyright holders about generative AI. It is also a sign of Microsoft's commitment to the responsible development of this technology.

In addition to the Copilot Copyright Commitment, Microsoft has also taken other steps to address the concerns of copyright holders. For example, the company has developed a tool called the Content Moderator that helps identify and remove copyrighted content from its products. Microsoft has also worked with copyright holders to develop licensing agreements that allow them to control how their content is used in generative AI models.

The Copilot Copyright Commitment is a positive development for the generative AI industry. It shows that Microsoft is committed to working with copyright holders to ensure that this technology is used responsibly. It also sends a signal to other companies that are developing generative AI that they need to take steps to address the concerns of copyright holders.