Iwao Kidorisho proposes remunurative fair use for Japan's AI era

Legal expert and US attorney Iwao Kidorisho is proposing a new legal framework in Japan termed ‘remunerative fair use’ to address the challenges posed by generative AI. The proposal aims to balance technological innovation with the protection of creators' rights.

Currently, Japan's copyright law allows for AI training under certain conditions, but critics argue this lacks mechanisms to ensure creators receive compensation for the massive scale of data used. Kidorisho’s model suggests that while AI learning, searching, and summarizing should remain flexible, a system of licensing, compensation, or extended collective licensing should be implemented when economic value is generated from such use.

This discussion coincides with the release of Kidorisho’s new book, ‘Copyright in the AI Era: Why Japan Creates but Does Not Profit,’ published by Mirai Publishing. The work examines how Japan’s current legal structures may cause it to lag behind the US and China in the AI race, and argues for a shift from a nation that merely creates content to one that effectively recovers value from it.