Agenda

Programme Overview

Keynote - Artificial Inventors and Authors | Professor Ryan Abbotts
Professor of Law and Health Sciences, University of Surrey School of Law 

Over the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to step into the shoes of human content generators and make creative works at scale. Before the end of the decade, a significant amount of art, literature, music, software, and web content will likely be created by AI rather than traditional human authors. How should copyright law deal with this phenomenon?

One narrative argues that even if AI can automate creativity, this activity is not the right sort of thing to protect, and that protection would even harm human artists. Another narrative argues that protection will encourage people to develop and use creative AI which will result in the production and dissemination of new works. AI-generated works challenge beliefs about human exceptionalism and the normative foundations of copyright law, which until now have offered something for everyone.

Copyright can be about ethics and authors and protecting the sweat of a brow and personality rights. Copyright can also be about the public interest and offering incentives to create and disseminate content. But copyright cannot have it all with AI authors—there is commercially valuable output being generated, but by authors with no interests to protect.

Never a blank slate: culturally-informed copyright services for international library users
Caitlin Mannion, Head of Reference and Instruction Services, NYU Shanghai;
& Mengjie Zou, Interim University Librarian; Research & Instruction Librarian, Duke Kunshan University

Academic libraries serve heterogeneous user populations whose needs are shaped by factors ranging from chosen disciplines to identities including gender, race, class, ability, culture, and country of origin. In supporting such a diverse group of users, academic librarians at colleges and universities must consider these nuances and tailor our services accordingly. This is particularly critical when engaging with international users, who comprise a significant and growing portion of our academic communities. These globally mobile users have unique needs and perspectives shaped by their cultural backgrounds and transnational experiences, with implications for their research methods, information literacy skills, and preferred modes of library engagement. 
 
Despite their increasing presence, international students remain underrepresented in library literature and services. This is particularly true when it comes to their need for specialized librarian support in navigating the complexities of copyright law, which may diverge from the norms & attitudes around intellectual property that were shaped by their experiences in other cultural contexts. These are users who may also be collaborating across borders, publishing internationally, or finding themselves navigating unfamiliar copyright regimes and international law. 
 
This presentation describes original empirical research undertaken by the speakers which explores this phenomenon. Our primary research question was “What copyright & copyright literacy services are provided at major universities & music conservatories in Mainland China?” Through surveys and follow-up interviews, our research explores the baseline of copyright knowledge that many graduate & postgraduate students, as well as early-career scholars, may bring from their prior experience in Mainland China to studying abroad in foreign copyright regimes. Our discussion of these research results is grounded in a review of scholarly literature in library services for international users, information technology, and copyright law. This is part of a larger ongoing research project to develop a paradigm for culturally-aware copyright services for international library users.  

The Impact of Copyright on Teaching and Research in UK Higher Education
Cristina Rusu, Copyright and Licensing Manager, Loughborough University

Copyright is there to protect the outputs of creators, however it can also be a hindrance for use in Higher Education, especially when trying to use different new media for teaching. Helping academics navigate this thorny issue can be difficult. This session is trying to look at what the impact of copyright is for teaching and research in Higher Education and if reform is needed to support academics to be able to use copyright works lawfully as well as help them understand how copyright protects their research outputs. 

The latest developments in the UK government’s copyright policy
Margaret Haig, Head of Copyright Delivery, Intellectual Property Office

Over the past twelve months, the rapid development of AI technologies has brought significant new challenges and opportunities. These advances have raised important questions around copyright, ownership, and the use of content within the context of generative AI — issues that directly affect the work of librarians and information professionals and the colleagues they support. Moreover, the recent Government AI and IP Consultation received thousands of responses – representing a range of stakeholders and perspectives.

We are pleased to welcome Margaret Haig, from the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, who will provide an essential update on the current copyright landscape and explore recent legal and policy developments. Margaret’s session will offer valuable insights and guidance on changes in the last 12 months to help professionals navigate the evolving environment and ensure best practice in their roles.

CLA Licensing & Technology Updates
Catherine Stephen, Head of Renewals & Growth, Education & Public Sector, Copyright Licensing Agency


This session will provide an update on the Copyright Licensing Agency's latest licensing initiatives, including developments around AI and text and data mining.

Lightning Talk | The Copyright Toolkit: A scenarios-based approach to providing copyright guidance 
Diane Crawford-Leighton, Copyright Librarian, University of Exeter

Diane will share her experience of using a SharePoint communication site to create a Copyright Toolkit to provide information and guidance to staff and students of the University of Exeter, including: 

• Reasons why the Exeter team chose this platform to create their guidance 
• The way information is structured (e.g. bite-sized scenarios backed up by more detailed information on licences and legal framework if required) 
• The benefits of a scenarios-based approach to providing copyright information 
• Some of the pros and cons of using SharePoint for this purpose (e.g. functionality, analytics, interactivity) 
• And next steps

The session will feature a practical demonstration of the Toolkit itself, so that delegates can see the platform in action.

  
Lightning Talk | Predatory AI and its prey: Copyright, IP and DP 
Agnes Kozlowska, Head of Knowledge and Information Management, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Lightning Talk |  Providing Copyright Advice on AI in a multifaceted organisation 
Debbie McDonnell, Intellectual Property Manager | Digital & Technology, British Council

Lightning Talk |  Orphan works: Love them or hate them, we’ve got to manage them - some pragmatic next steps  
Naomi Korn, CEO, Naomi Korn Associates 

Orphan works - rights holders who are unknown or cannot be traced - present challenges for librarians and information professionals. With over 90 million orphan works across the UK’s cultural heritage sector, the lack of legal solutions to enable online publication results in risk managed decisions or alternatively choices not to publish at all. 
 
Naomi will briefly outline the legislative landscape, and recent research, presents some pragmatic steps for managing orphan works.

Panel Discussion | The Future of Copyright
Chair: Naomi Korn, CEO, Naomi Korn Associates 
Speakers: Professor Ryan Abbott, Professor of Law and Health Sciences, University of Surrey School of Law; Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO,CILIP; Margaret Haig, Head of Copyright Delivery, Intellectual Property Office

We close Copyright Conference with a panel discussion on the future of copyright, with a particular focus on the implications of current and future legislation around AI. Our panel of experts features Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of CILIP, and a representative on the Creative Rights in AI Coalition; Professor Ryan Abbott, author of The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law; and Margaret Haig, Head of Copyright Delivery at the UK Intellectual Property Office.

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Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB)

The PKSB represents a full set of knowledge and skills used within the library, archives, records, knowledge and information management professions. You can use the PKSB as a framework for identifying any skills gaps to help you plan and develop for your career. The following are elements of the PKSB that relate to this event:

4.3 - Information Governance and Compliance -  Copyright, intellectual property and licensing
12.5 - Strategy, Planning and Management - Legal compliance