Press Council Hopes Copyright Law Revision Gains Broad Support

The Press Council hopes the revision of Law Number 28 of 2014 on Copyright will receive support from all parties. Dahlan Dahi, Chair of the Digital and Sustainability Commission of the Press Council, stated that the revision accommodates journalistic products gaining economic rights amidst the current digital disruption. “Currently, journalistic works are used as the basis for algorithms to distribute information and news by artificial intelligence (AI) without any compensation whatsoever,” Dahlan said during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, monitored online. He explained that a journalist produces news, sometimes risking their life and incurring large costs borne by the press company, yet technology companies provide no compensation at all. Dahlan stated this is a very detrimental trend that will threaten journalism and institutions in performing their verification function on information delivered to the public. He said this is what prompted the Ministry of Law to revise the Copyright Law. The Press Council and the Ministry of Law have been communicating intensively regarding the formulation of journalistic works in the Copyright Law revision, as one instrument to strengthen the press in Indonesia. Therefore, journalistic works used for commercial purposes must obtain a licence and permission, thus requiring royalty payments, including from technology companies that aggregate news via AI. “So, there will be no more free journalistic works,” he said. Regarding the public’s right to obtain information, Dahlan affirmed this will still be accommodated with provisions for using journalistic works for non-commercial purposes. He added that for social, educational, and research purposes, journalistic works may still be used. Nevertheless, he stressed that royalty collection for journalistic products is not intended to remove technology from the news or information dissemination ecosystem, but rather to encourage technology platforms that respect the enhancement of information quality for the public. “Because if the public only receives unverified information, generative AI machines will process information containing misinformation and disinformation,” Dahlan said. He emphasised that technology platforms also have an interest in ensuring the press produces quality news and the public receives quality information. Ultimately, Dahlan stressed that quality news will strengthen the press’s function in safeguarding press freedom, which is an important instrument for democracy. “Democracy is a state system we believe is better than all other systems. So, this is not just about the press, but about the public, about the nation and the state,” he asserted.