Mauricio Uribe Discusses US Copyright Office Proposed News Websites Rulemaking in Bloomberg Law

In the Bloomberg Law article “Copyright Rule Would Ease News Registration as AI Fight Looms,” Knobbe Martens partner Mauricio Uribe offered insight into the potential implications of the US Copyright Office’s latest proposed rulemaking regarding specific procedures for copyright registration for online news publishers.

The proposed rule would streamline the process by which publishers with frequently updated news websites gain copyright registration. Speaking to this point, Uribe said, “The ease of the administrative burden is definitely much less, or certainly outweighed by the benefit you get.”

While the rule could offer a solution to existing administrative difficulties, Uribe maintained that limiting the procedures for entities with posting content via Web pages (e.g., particular domain names) could prove ineffective over time as technology changes. “What about ‘X’ or any other kind of social media that ultimately could end up being five years from now the way we consume [news] in a very different way?” he said. “Or some other medium, or some other device, and the traditional URL goes by the wayside?”

Uribe also commented on the potential value of licensing agreements for online publishers, as artificial intelligence (AI) companies increasingly seek content to train their generative AI tools. Especially as the conversation about AI and copyright evolves, Uribe notes that “optics and politics and business” are all at play in decision-making around these issues.

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