Indonesia
Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words “Artificial Intelligence“ (AI) in this illustration created on Feb. 19, 2024. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic)
Press groups have renewed calls to recognize journalistic works under Indonesia’s Copyright Law after Google criticized a proposed amendment, arguing that stronger legal protection is needed to safeguard publishers’ and journalists’ economic rights as generative artificial intelligence transforms the news industry.The push comes as the House of Representatives’s Legislation Body (Baleg) prepares to resume deliberations on revisions to the 2014 Copyright Law, which would, for the first time classify journalistic works as copyrighted creations.
The proposal has been welcomed by media organizations, which argue that existing laws, including the Press Law and the Broadcasting Law, regulate journalism as a profession but do not explicitly recognize news content as copyrightable intellectual property.
The Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) said such recognition had become increasingly “urgent” as AI-powered platforms and search engines increasingly rely on journalistic content while media organizations continue to bear the costs of producing it.
