Microsoft says dont worry, it will protect Copilot AI users from copyright lawsuits

Microsoft has addressed the concerns about copyright issues related to its AI-powered Copilot services with a new commitment. The new commitment assures customers that they can use Copilot and its output without worrying about copyright claims. If any legal challenges arise, the tech giant will take responsibility for the potential legal risks involved. This step aims to provide clarity and confidence to users in the ever-evolving landscape of AI tools and creativity.

“As customers ask whether they can use Microsoft’s Copilot services and the output they generate without worrying about copyright claims, we are providing a straightforward answer: yes, you can, and if you are challenged on copyright grounds, we will assume responsibility for the potential legal risks involved,” the company said in a blogpost on September 7, 2023.

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Announcing the new ‘Copilot Copyright Commitment’, Microsoft also said that if a third party sues a commercial customer for copyright infringement for using Microsoft’s Copilots or the output they generate, the company will defend the customer and pay the amount of any adverse judgments or settlements that result from the lawsuit, as long as the customer used the guardrails and content filters the company has built into its products.

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The tech giant further mentioned that it is offering the new program as it believes in standing behind its customers when they use its products, is sensitive to the concerns of authors, and has built important guardrails into its Copilots to help respect authors’ copyrights.

Microsoft's Copilot Copyright Commitment expands its existing intellectual property protection to cover copyright claims related to the use of its AI-powered Copilots. This protection applies to paid versions of Microsoft's commercial Copilot services and Bing Chat Enterprise. It includes services like Microsoft 365 Copilot, which brings generative AI to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, making it easier to work with data and create presentations. Additionally, GitHub Copilot, which helps developers with coding tasks, is also covered by this commitment.