3 ms·

"Of course data is copied during training" is copying. As far as I know, the law is consistent that temporary copies are also covered by the copyright act, and

by HWR_14 1y ago

"Of course data is copied during training" is copying. As far as I know, the law is consistent that temporary copies are also covered by the copyright act, and that's how some analogous cases were resolved.

shawabawa3 1y ago
If I buy a book I'm free to print as many copies as I want inside my house It becomes illegal if I try to distribute those copies So the question is, does distributing an AI that has been trained on Harry Potter count as distributing Harry Potter?
- triceratops 1y ago
  This is not correct. It's only true that no one will go to the effort of prosecuting you for keeping photocopies of books in your home. But copyright law doesn't allow you to do it.
Dylan16807 1y ago
Temporary copies are in the scope of copyright law, yes. But also, you are allowed to make them. Or reading a book via a computer would be illegal.
- triceratops 1y ago
  > But also, you are allowed to make them. Not of physical media. You're allowed to make archival copies of digital media. > Or reading a book via a computer would be illegal No you purchased a license (or your library did, in the case of e-borrowing) to read the book on a computer. That makes it legal.
  - Dylan16807 1y ago
    I am allowed to point a webcam at my physical book and read off the screen, even though that makes digital copies of all the text.
    - triceratops 1y ago
      FWIW the essence of copyright law AIUI is: copying is not permitted, unless done in a form explicitly allowed by the license holder. This scenario seems quite contrived but is there an actual court precedent allowing it? I'm 100% confident no one will ever prosecute you for doing it but that's not the same thing as "allowed". In another thread I already posted about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Broadcasting_Cos.,_Inc._v._Aereo,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Broadcasting_Cos.,_In.... This case was about pointing <recording equipment> at <content someone is allowed to access> and making a copy to transmit it to <only that person>. The Supreme Court held it to be illegal. There was a lot of money on the line, which is why it went so far.
      - Dylan16807 1y ago
        As far as I can tell there is also a principle that you can have ephemeral copies as part of handling and processing the work. Your example involves transmission and mine doesn't, and that's a whole different can of worms. Also the result of that case was self-contradicting so it's not a great basis to build too much logic upon.
        triceratops 1y ago
        > there is also a principle that you can have ephemeral copies as part of handling and processing the work. I'm not aware of this principle. Where is it spelled out? > Also the result of that case was self-contradicting I agree the verdict was a travesty. An innovative business went to ridiculous lengths to stay on the right side of the copyright mafia (data centers with tiny individual TV antennas for each subscriber FFS!) while providing a better product and experience. They still had the hammer brought down on them.
        Dylan16807 1y ago
        > I'm not aware of this principle. Where is it spelled out? Well, do CDs give you a license agreement that allows you to copy the data? I've never seen one. And it's nearly impossible to play a CD without that copying.

by HWR_14 1y ago

shawabawa3 1y ago

If I buy a book I'm free to print as many copies as I want inside my house It becomes illegal if I try to distribute those copies So the question is, does distributing an AI that has been trained on Harry Potter count as distributing Harry Potter?

triceratops 1y ago
This is not correct. It's only true that no one will go to the effort of prosecuting you for keeping photocopies of books in your home. But copyright law doesn't allow you to do it.

Dylan16807 1y ago

Temporary copies are in the scope of copyright law, yes. But also, you are allowed to make them. Or reading a book via a computer would be illegal.

triceratops 1y ago
> But also, you are allowed to make them. Not of physical media. You're allowed to make archival copies of digital media. > Or reading a book via a computer would be illegal No you purchased a license (or your library did, in the case of e-borrowing) to read the book on a computer. That makes it legal.
- Dylan16807 1y ago
  I am allowed to point a webcam at my physical book and read off the screen, even though that makes digital copies of all the text.
  - triceratops 1y ago
    FWIW the essence of copyright law AIUI is: copying is not permitted, unless done in a form explicitly allowed by the license holder. This scenario seems quite contrived but is there an actual court precedent allowing it? I'm 100% confident no one will ever prosecute you for doing it but that's not the same thing as "allowed". In another thread I already posted about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Broadcasting_Cos.,_Inc._v._Aereo,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Broadcasting_Cos.,_In.... This case was about pointing <recording equipment> at <content someone is allowed to access> and making a copy to transmit it to <only that person>. The Supreme Court held it to be illegal. There was a lot of money on the line, which is why it went so far.
    - Dylan16807 1y ago
      As far as I can tell there is also a principle that you can have ephemeral copies as part of handling and processing the work. Your example involves transmission and mine doesn't, and that's a whole different can of worms. Also the result of that case was self-contradicting so it's not a great basis to build too much logic upon.
      - triceratops 1y ago
        > there is also a principle that you can have ephemeral copies as part of handling and processing the work. I'm not aware of this principle. Where is it spelled out? > Also the result of that case was self-contradicting I agree the verdict was a travesty. An innovative business went to ridiculous lengths to stay on the right side of the copyright mafia (data centers with tiny individual TV antennas for each subscriber FFS!) while providing a better product and experience. They still had the hammer brought down on them.
        Dylan16807 1y ago
        > I'm not aware of this principle. Where is it spelled out? Well, do CDs give you a license agreement that allows you to copy the data? I've never seen one. And it's nearly impossible to play a CD without that copying.