Book publisher Penguin Random House is publicly declaring its position on AI training with a notable change to its copyright pages. Newly published and reprinted books will now feature a statement: “No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.” According to The Bookseller, Penguin Random House is the first major publisher to include such a clause on its copyright page.
This addition can be seen as a proactive measure, akin to a robots.txt file used by websites to request that AI companies refrain from scraping their content. However, it's important to note that this clause does not hold legal weight; copyright protections exist independently of the language used on copyright pages. Additionally, defenses such as fair use may still apply even if the rights holder specifies restrictions.
In August, Penguin Random House reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the intellectual property of its authors and artists, stating that it will “vigorously defend” these rights. Unlike Penguin Random House, some academic publishers, including Wiley, Oxford University Press, and Taylor & Francis, have embraced AI, entering into deals for AI training. This divide illustrates the varied approach to AI across the publishing industry.