Indian Publishers Conference 2026: Copyright, Licensing and AI

0001Ms. Nishtha Sharma, Research and Programme Coordinator, CIIPC and current In-charge, moderated Session 1 at the Indian Publishers Conference 2026, titled “Copyright, Licensing & AI: Protecting Rights and Creating Value in the AI Era.” The panel brought together experts from intellectual property law, policy and academia to discuss the implications of artificial intelligence for the publishing industry.

0002The panellists included Ms. Divya S., IP Attaché and Senior IP Advisor at the Intellectual Property Office UK, British High Commission; Mr. Rahul Goel, Partner at Anant Law; and Mr. Nikhil N., Assistant Professor at Jindal Global Law School, Assistant Director of the Cyril Shroff Centre for AI, Law & Regulation, and Of Counsel at Scriboard.

0003The discussion examined copyright protection, licensing frameworks, fair use, attribution and value-sharing in the context of AI. It also considered emerging legal and policy questions concerning the use of copyrighted works to train AI systems, including issues arising from the ANI Media–OpenAI dispute.

0004The session highlighted the challenge of balancing the rights and interests of authors and publishers with technological innovation and the responsible development of AI, underscoring the need for sustainable approaches to copyright and licensing in the evolving publishing landscape.