Samuel Lewis was recently quoted in a World IP Review article discussing the U.S. Copyright Office’s report on using copyrighted works to train generative AI models, its legal implications, and mixed stakeholder reactions amid ongoing lawsuits and regulatory uncertainty.
Sam defended the report’s integrity, saying it “strikes me as being consistent with that statutory mandate” and cautioned that a full rewrite “would only serve to raise questions regarding the integrity” of those revising it. He expressed skepticism about the report’s practical impact, noting fair use is “simply too fact-specific” and “no clear answer” exists, as each case depends on its facts and judicial interpretation. Sam expects that if courts rule such training infringes copyright, it “will lead to an increase in voluntary licensing,” and he supports letting the licensing market evolve naturally without government mandates, adding it “might not yet be far enough along” for statutory rules. Despite its insights, he doubts the report will significantly affect litigation or AI practices soon, saying he’d be surprised if pending cases rely on it for final decisions.
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