The European Parliament on March 10 adopted a broad set of recommendations designed to tighten oversight of artificial intelligence systems that use copyrighted works. The measures emphasize greater transparency, fair compensation for creators, and stronger enforcement measures across the European Union.

The nonbinding resolution passed with 460 votes in favour, 71 against, and 88 abstentions, reflecting wide political agreement on the need to update copyright rules for the AI era.

Lawmakers said generative AI systems operating in the bloc should be fully subject to EU copyright law even if their training occurs elsewhere. They urged the European Commission to require AI developers to disclose an itemized list of every copyrighted work used during model training and to keep detailed records of data‑crawling activities. Parliament warned that failing to meet such transparency requirements could potentially be considered copyright infringement and lead to legal consequences.

Axel Voss, a member of the European Parliament, who led the initiative, said generative AI “must not operate outside the rule of law,” arguing that creators are entitled to transparency, legal certainty, and fair compensation. His comments reflect long‑standing concerns from Europe’s cultural sector that AI companies have built powerful systems by scraping artistic works without authorization or payment.

“We need clear rules for the use of copyright-protected content for AI training. Legal certainty would let AI developers know which content can be used and how licences can be obtained,” Voss said after the vote. “On the other hand, rightsholders would be protected against unauthorized use of their content and receive remuneration. If we want to promote and develop AI in Europe while also protecting our creators, then these provisions are absolutely indispensable.”

The push for tougher rules drew criticism from the Computer and Communications Industry Association, which said the European Parliament has “created legal uncertainty” that could weaken Europe’s access to emerging technologies. “Today’s non-binding report sends the wrong signal to innovators, and risks holding back Europe’s digital competitiveness on the global stage,” said Boniface de Champris, the group’s AI policy lead.

The resolution states that AI developers must provide fair remuneration when copyrighted works are used for training datasets. Lawmakers also urged the Commission to consider how compensation for past uses could be addressed. Still, they rejected the idea of a blanket global licence that would grant unlimited training rights in exchange for a one‑time fee.

Members called for the creation of a new EU licensing market, including voluntary collective licensing models designed to support individual artists, small creative enterprises, and the broader cultural sector. Supporters say such a system would help correct the imbalance of negotiating power between rights‑holders and AI firms that have grown rapidly through large‑scale data extraction.

The recommendations also propose an EU‑wide opt‑out mechanism allowing creators to refuse the use of their work in AI training. The European Union Intellectual Property Office could manage a centralized register listing copyrighted works included in AI datasets, as well as those whose rights‑holders have opted out. AI providers would be required to disclose the websites they scraped for data, a measure intended to enhance accountability in AI training practices.

Parliament clarified that content produced entirely by AI should not be eligible for copyright protection, reaffirming that copyright is fundamentally tied to human authorship. Lawmakers also called for stronger safeguards against manipulated or AI‑generated misinformation and urged digital service providers to act against illegal or harmful uses of such content.

Though nonbinding, the resolution signals a strong political ahead of a broader review of EU copyright law expected later this year. Cultural and creative industry groups welcomed the vote and pressed the European Commission to turn the recommendations into binding legislation as soon as possible.

- Cathy Li