Australia rules out AI 'text and data mining' copyright exception, sides with creators

What happened

On October 22, 2026, Australia's federal government (the Albanese government) ruled out introducing a "text and data mining" (TDM) exception to copyright law. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland announced that AI developers will not be granted automatic rights to scrape or use copyrighted material -- including articles, images, music or video -- to train AI models without permission.

Rowland said: "This government has repeatedly said that there are no plans to weaken copyright protections when it comes to AI."

What comes next

Instead of loosening copyright rules, the government's new Copyright and AI Reference Group will examine alternative frameworks, including a paid collective licensing model that could let AI developers access creative works legally and fairly. It will also examine how copyright applies to AI-generated content and a possible low-cost small claims system for copyright disputes.

Industry reaction

ARIA/PPCA CEO Annabelle Herd called it "a landmark decision that reinforces Australia's commitment to its artists and creative industries." News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller called it "a welcome catalyst for tech and AI companies to license Australian content."

Scope note

This is a regulatory decision, not a lawsuit. It follows the site's already-covered October 20-22 advocacy items (63 media groups' statutory-pool letter, the ASA/APA parliamentary hearing, the Authors Guild global statement) -- this item records the government's actual decision to reject the exception.