Reducing Big Data Copyright Burden to Foster AI Industry Growth

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Announces 'Copyright Vision 2030' Outlining Goals and Tasks for Copyright Sector by 2030
Full Revision of 'Copyright Act' to Promote Big Data Liability Exemption and Rational Dispute Resolution
Gradual Autonomy in Copyright Fee Determination, Establishment of Integrated Copyright Usage Information System
Establishment of 'Cyber Copyright Investigation Unit' and Strengthening Protection of Hallyu Content Overseas Copyrights

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo is announcing the Copyright Vision 2030 on the 4th at the International Conference Hall of the National Library of Korea in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The government plans to lower copyright barriers necessary for big data analysis and other uses to facilitate smoother utilization in order to support the growth of the Fourth Industrial Revolution fields, including artificial intelligence (AI). It will grant autonomy to collective management organizations and support the free use of shared works and orphan works with high utilization potential. To counter increasingly sophisticated copyright infringements, a dedicated online forensic investigation team will be established, and cooperation with related domestic and international organizations will be expanded. The government also plans to strengthen the overseas copyright protection system for Hallyu content to promote the spread of Korean Wave.

On the 4th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the 'Copyright Vision 2030 - A Copyright Powerhouse Where Culture Becomes Economy' at the National Library of Korea in Seoul, together with the Korea Copyright Commission and the Korea Copyright Protection Agency. This plan, aimed at creating a 'copyright powerhouse' where culture and economy grow together, consists of four strategic goals and twelve implementation tasks.

◆ Establishing a Copyright Foundation Suitable for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era = The government will revise copyright laws and systems necessary to support the development of new technologies such as 5G and big data analysis. In particular, to support the activation of the AI industry, it will introduce new regulations related to exemption from liability for big data use. Minor copyright infringements will be excluded from criminal penalties, and a punitive damages system will be introduced to encourage reasonable dispute resolution. A full revision of the 'Copyright Act' reflecting these contents will also be pursued.

To nurture professionals who comprehensively manage commercialization using copyrights, basic related research will be conducted this year. Copyright statistics management and analysis will be improved to better understand the copyright trading market, and the expertise of the Commission and the Protection Agency will be strengthened.

◆ Creating a Fair and Transparent Usage Environment = The government plans to gradually allow copyright usage fees approved by collective management organizations to be determined through autonomous negotiations with users. Information such as the management status of copyright management organizations will be disclosed regularly to enhance transparency and fairness, and the distribution rate of copyright compensation will be expanded from the current level of 73% to over 80%.

An integrated computer network will be established to promote the use of copyright distribution information, collecting usage information of works in real time. The collected big data will be analyzed and provided to rights holders, industries, and the public, improving the rights and interests of copyright holders. Shared works with high utilization potential will also be collected and provided to improve the public's copyright usage environment, and orphan works with unclear rights holders will be collected and provided as well.

◆ Strengthening Response to Copyright Infringement = To respond to new types of copyright infringement, an online forensic investigation team called the 'Cyber Copyright Investigation Unit' will be established. Planned investigations by infringement type will be strengthened, and overseas-based copyright infringements will be addressed through cooperation with related domestic and international organizations. The Korea Copyright Protection Agency will expand the functions of its 'Comprehensive Infringement Response Situation Room' and establish a 24-hour integrated monitoring system to continuously monitor domestic and international copyright infringements. Digital forensic capabilities will be enhanced, and future technologies such as AI and big data will be leveraged to respond to new copyright infringements.

Copyright protection in the software industry will also be strengthened. In the public sector, sufficient budgets for software purchases will be allocated, and software management status will be included in evaluation indicators. In the private sector, methods for cracking down on illegal software will be advanced, and certification systems for genuine software use, such as 'Copyright OK,' will be expanded targeting industries where copyright infringement frequently occurs.

◆ Strengthening Overseas Copyright Protection for Hallyu Content = To support the spread of Hallyu, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will form an 'Overseas Copyright Protection Council' with related agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice to devise measures against copyright infringement. Cooperation systems will be established with overseas diplomatic missions focusing on countries where Hallyu is spreading, and the number of overseas copyright offices, currently four, will be gradually increased.

A new 'Copyright Protection Voucher' support project will be launched to provide legal services to small and medium Hallyu companies involved in copyright disputes overseas. To strengthen cooperation with international organizations, the establishment of a Korean branch of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center is also planned.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has set eight detailed performance goals for 2030, including achieving a youth copyright awareness score of 85 points, rising to third place globally in the international intellectual property index for copyright, expanding core copyright industry sales to 240 trillion won, reaching 3 trillion won in entrusted copyright management, reducing the use rate of illegal content to below 12%, lowering software piracy rates to below 20%, surpassing 30 billion dollars in copyright exports, and achieving a 10 billion dollar surplus in copyright trade balance.

Minister Park Yang-woo of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, "Copyright, along with industrial property rights, is one of the two pillars supporting intellectual property rights and a key asset driving the national economy. The government will do its best to realize a 'copyright powerhouse' where copyright becomes the driving force of our cultural development and plays a pivotal role in economic growth."