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ARTICLE · 17 JULY 2026

Australia | The Copyright Stalemate Deepens As Albanese Centralises AI Policy

Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers
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Australia's refusal to introduce a text and data mining exemption for AI training has sparked a high-stakes confrontation between global AI companies promising billions in infrastructure investment and creative industries fighting to preserve copyright protections.

AustraliaIntellectual Property
Katrina Crooks
Katrina Crooks
Nadine Martino
Nadine Martino
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The Australian Government’s refusal to introduce a text and data mining (TDM) exemption for AI training (see our previous article here) has become the centrepiece of an escalating standoff between global AI companies seeking to invest billions in Australian infrastructure and creative industries determined to preserve the integrity of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) (Copyright Act).

This week, the landscape shifted dramatically, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his Parliamentary Office will take direct control of Australia’s AI agenda. While it seems clear that Australia is unlikely to adopt an AI focussed exception to copyright protection any time soon, a number of other options to facilitate AI training in Australia remain on the table.

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