The announcement comes amid concerns about generative AI tools reproducing copyrighted material without proper attribution. Microsoft has already faced a class-action lawsuit over alleged copyright violations by GitHub Copilot. Under the new policy, Microsoft will assume responsibility for legal risks and pay any legal damages for customers using its AI services, as long as they use built-in guardrails and content filters.
Key takeaways:
- Microsoft has announced a new policy, the Copilot Copyright Commitment, which provides legal protection for customers who are sued for copyright infringement over content generated by the company's AI systems.
- The policy is an expansion of Microsoft's existing intellectual property indemnification coverage and covers damages and legal fees, aiming to give customers confidence in deploying its AI systems without worrying about potential copyright issues.
- Microsoft will pay any legal damages for customers using Copilot, Bing Chat, and other AI services as long as they use built-in guardrails and content filters.
- Microsoft has already faced litigation over its Copilot technology, with a class-action lawsuit filed last November by the Joseph Saveri Law Firm over alleged copyright violations that arose from scraping publicly available code repositories.