UK Government Publishes Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, United Kingdom, March 2026

The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Intellectual Property Office jointly published the "Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence" on March 18, 2026. The report was published under Sections 135 and 136 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (the "DUA Act"). The report examines the use of copyright works in the development of AI systems, including training data practices, and sets out the government's analysis and conclusions on the policy options available to address the relationship between copyright and AI.

Sections 135 and 136 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 require the Secretary of State to prepare a report on the use of copyright works in AI training and publish an impact assessment. Section 135 mandates the report to address how AI developers access, use, and process copyright-protected material in building AI systems. Section 136 mandates an accompanying impact assessment. The DUA Act received Royal Assent in June 2025. The report and impact assessment published on March 18, 2026 fulfil these statutory requirements. The ISBN for the report is 978-1-5286-6308-3 and for the impact assessment is 978-1-5286-6317-5.

For AI developers and deployers operating in or serving the UK market, the report represents the government's formal analysis of the copyright-AI interface under the DUA Act. Developers who train AI models on UK copyright-protected works — whether text, images, music, or other subject matter — should review the report's conclusions and impact assessment. Rights-holders, publishers, and creative industries have a direct interest in the policy directions the report signals, as any legislative response to the report's findings would amend or supplement the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The report is not legislation and does not independently impose obligations on AI developers or rights-holders. Any binding rules would require amendment to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or other primary legislation. The DUA Act also established a technical working group and a code of practice on copyright and AI. The government's code of practice on copyright and AI is a parallel non-binding instrument. The report and impact assessment are 125 pages and 52 pages, respectively, in web-optimised PDF format.

Prokopiev Law Group advises AI developers, training data providers, and rights-holders on copyright compliance strategy across UK and European markets. The firm's AI and intellectual property practice provides guidance on data licensing, fair dealing, and regulatory developments under the DUA Act and the EU AI Act. Contact us to discuss your specific situation. Keywords: UK copyright AI, Data Use and Access Act 2025, AI training data copyright, Intellectual Property Office, CDPA 1988, AI copyright report, rights-holders AI.

Source: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Intellectual Property Office. "Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence," published 18 March 2026 under Sections 135–136 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. ISBN 978-1-5286-6308-3 (report); ISBN 978-1-5286-6317-5 (impact assessment). Official URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-and-impact-assessment-on-copyright-and-artificial-intelligence. Confirmed: March 23, 2026.

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