2024-02-282023/24:NU7 · p.1NUBusiness & energy
Copyright and AI
Copyright and the rapid development of AI
What's at stake: AI raises new questions about how copyrighted material may be used to train AI models and who owns the copyright to what AI produces. Without clear rules, rightsholders risk losing influence over how their works are used, while a review would affect both creators and AI developers.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the government should appoint an inquiry to review copyright legislation in light of AI developments, or whether current legislation should remain unchanged for now.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motions and does not consider that there is currently reason to appoint a special inquiry into copyright and AI.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S, V, MP)
The reservation (S, V, MP) wants the government to promptly appoint an inquiry to review national copyright legislation in light of AI developments and to push for a harmonised, effective copyright framework within the EU, so that rightsholders' rights can be upheld.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by S, V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: CCenterpartiet, LLiberalerna, SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 168–127Nej 76–219
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/19/0/5 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/92/0/14 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | match | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 19/0/0/5 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 12/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 61/0/0/11 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:17 by Vasiliki Tsouplaki et al. (V), 2023/24:1522 by Amanda Lind et al. (MP) demands 1 and 2, and 2023/24:2630 by Fredrik Olovsson et al. (S) demand 10 in this respect.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:17 av Vasiliki Tsouplaki m.fl. (V), 2023/24:1522 av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 1 och 2 samt 2023/24:2630 av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S) yrkande 10 i denna del.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 40 proposals on intellectual property issues, that is, the area within law that regulates rights to intellectual achievements such as design, literature, trademarks and inventions. The motions concern, for example, a review of intellectual property regulations in light of the development of artificial intelligence (AI), support for patent infringement, knowledge-promoting initiatives in the intellectual property field, and a new strategy for innovation and intellectual property. The proposals were submitted during the general motion period of 2023. The Riksdag refers to various initiatives and ongoing work.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to review national copyright legislation in light of AI development. (S, V, MP) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan establishes that cultural creation should be liberated from commercial control and that market power's grip on the internet, television, and culture must be broken, and that independent culture should be defended.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that cultural creation should be liberated from commercial control and that market power's grip on the internet, television, and culture must be broken, and that independent culture should be defended. A review of copyright in light of AI development protects precisely the position of creators against commercial exploitation. The plan simultaneously opposes generally the shift of power to the EU level, which makes support for the harmonization part weaker.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att kulturellt skapande ska vara frigjort från kommersiell kontroll och att marknadsmaktens grepp om internet, tv och kultur måste brytas, samt att den oberoende kulturen ska försvaras. En översyn av upphovsrätten mot bakgrund av AI-utvecklingen värnar just upphovspersonernas ställning mot kommersiell exploatering. Planen motsätter sig samtidigt generellt att makt flyttas till EU-nivå, vilket gör stödet för harmoniseringsdelen svagare.
- break market power over culturedecisive»Marknadsmakten har ett starkt grepp om Internet, tv och kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Market power has a strong grip on the internet, television, and culture.”
- free cultural creation»Kulturellt skapande i alla dess former, frigjort från kommersiell« (party programme ↗)“Cultural creation in all its forms, liberated from commercial”
- independent culture»Vänsterpartiet försvarar den oberoende kulturen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party defends independent culture.”
- no to increased EU power»med andra vänsterkrafter. I det dagliga arbetet motsätter sig Vänsterpartiet generellt förslag som ökar EU:s makt och försöker istället föra« (party programme ↗)“with other left-wing forces. In its daily work, the Left Party generally opposes proposals that increase the EU's power and instead tries to”
The plan protects artistic copyright and wants to counteract power concentration and safeguard diversity in media and IT policy.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan protects artistic copyright and wants to counteract power concentration and safeguard diversity in media and IT policy. As AI development challenges copyright holders' position, it follows from these commitments that legislation should be reviewed and that appropriate copyright be driven forward in the EU. The plan does not address AI, so the assessment is derived from copyright and cultural principles.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår vakt om den konstnärliga upphovsrätten och vill motverka maktkoncentration och värna mångfald i medie- och IT-politiken. När AI-utvecklingen utmanar upphovsrättshavarnas ställning följer det av dessa åtaganden att lagstiftningen ses över och att en ändamålsenlig upphovsrätt drivs på inom EU. Planen behandlar inte AI, varför bedömningen är härledd ur upphovsrätts- och kulturprinciperna.
- safeguard artistic copyrightdecisive»En viktig del av detta är att slå vakt om den konstnärliga« (party programme ↗)“An important part of this is to protect artistic”
- counteract power concentration in media»Att motverka maktkoncentration och att upprätthålla mångfald ska vara centrala delar av« (party programme ↗)“Counteracting power concentration and maintaining diversity shall be central parts of”
- free and vibrant cultural life»Sverige ska ha ett levande, fritt och obundet kulturliv som både stärker samhörigheten och utmanar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall have a vibrant, free and independent cultural life that both strengthens community and challenges.”
The election manifesto wants to modernize copyright so that cultural creators' rights are valued, and the party programme wants to see copyright legislation adapted to today's society where creators have the right to fair compensation.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto wants to modernize copyright so that cultural creators' rights are valued, and the party programme wants to see copyright legislation adapted to today's society where creators have the right to fair compensation. A development that AI puts in sharp focus. To review national copyright and drive for appropriate harmonization within the EU therefore follows from the plan's commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet vill modernisera upphovsrätten så att kulturskaparnas rättigheter värnas, och partiprogrammet vill se en upphovsrättslagstiftning anpassad till dagens samhälle där upphovsmän har rätt till en rimlig ersättning. En utveckling som AI ställer just den anpassningen på sin spets. Att se över den nationella upphovsrätten och driva på för en ändamålsenlig harmonisering inom EU följer därför av planens åtaganden.
- modernized copyrightdecisive»modernisera upphovsrätten så att kulturskaparnas rättigheter värnas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“modernize copyright so that cultural creators' rights are valued.”
- copyright adapted to our time»vill se en upphovsrättslagstiftning, anpassad till dagens samhälle« (party programme ↗)“want to see copyright legislation, adapted to today's society”
- fair compensation to creators»upphovsmän ska ha rätt till en rimlig ersättning.« (party programme ↗)“creators shall have the right to fair compensation.”
- copyright that benefits creation»Upphovsrätten ska gynna ett aktivt och« (party programme ↗)“Copyright shall benefit an active and”
The party programme establishes that digitalisation challenges the traditional view of copyright and that copyright must develop for the new conditions that the technological revolution has created, while creative force is rewarded and creators' compensation is secured.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that digitalisation challenges the traditional view of copyright and that copyright must develop for the new conditions that the technological revolution has created, while creative force is rewarded and creators' compensation is secured. The election manifesto protects artistic freedom. An investigation of copyright against the background of AI development is thus the plan's own line.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet konstaterar att digitaliseringen utmanar den traditionella synen på upphovsrätten och att upphovsrätten måste utvecklas för de nya villkor som den tekniska revolutionen skapat, samtidigt som skaparkraften belönas och upphovsmännens ersättning säkras. Valmanifestet värnar den konstnärliga friheten. En utredning av upphovsrätten mot bakgrund av AI-utvecklingen är därmed planens egen linje.
- copyright is challenged by technologydecisive»Digitaliseringen utmanar den traditionella synen på upphovsrätten.« (party programme ↗)“Digitalisation challenges the traditional view of copyright.”
- reward creative force»Upphovsrätten måste bejaka och belöna skaparkraften« (party programme ↗)“Copyright must embrace and reward creative force”
- artistic freedom is protected»Den akademiska och konstnärliga friheten liksom den fria kulturen är grundbultar i ett vitalt civilsamhälle.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Academic and artistic freedom as well as free culture are cornerstones in a vital civil society.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The party programme establishes that copyright must be adapted to new technology and new distribution forms, because copyright holders' right to control their works is a prerequisite for cultural freedom.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that copyright must be adapted to new technology and new distribution forms, because copyright holders' right to control their works is a prerequisite for cultural freedom. The counter-proposal's demand for a review of copyright law against the backdrop of AI development is precisely such adaptation. The plan also wants regulations harmonized within the EU and protection periods to become more uniform.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att upphovsrätten måste anpassas till ny teknik och nya distributionsformer, eftersom upphovspersonernas rätt att bestämma över sina verk är en förutsättning för kulturens frihet. Motförslagets krav på en översyn av upphovsrättslagstiftningen mot bakgrund av AI-utvecklingen är just en sådan anpassning. Planen vill dessutom att regelverk harmoniseras inom EU och att skyddstiderna blir mer enhetliga.
- copyright adapted to new technologydecisive»Upphovsrätten måste dock anpassas till ny teknik och« (party programme ↗)“Copyright must however be adapted to new technology and”
- new technology changes culture»Den nya tekniken ökar tillgängligheten till kultur.« (party programme ↗)“New technology increases access to culture.”
- harmonized regulations in the EU»Den inre marknaden ska utvecklas, regelverk ska« (party programme ↗)“The internal market shall be developed, regulations shall”
- more uniform protection periods»Skyddstiderna för olika kulturformer bör bli mer enhetliga och« (party programme ↗)“Protection periods for different cultural forms should become more uniform and”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan establishes that ownership is a human right and that the ability to protect intellectual property rights to inventions is a prerequisite for value creation, and that artistic freedom shall be valued.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that ownership is a human right and that the ability to protect intellectual property rights to inventions is a prerequisite for value creation, and that artistic freedom shall be valued. The counter-proposal's requirement for a review of copyright in light of AI development and harmonized EU copyright follows from these commitments and from the requirement for uniform rules in the internal market.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att äganderätten är en mänsklig rättighet och att möjligheten att skydda äganderätten till uppfinningar är en förutsättning för att värden ska kunna skapas, samt att den konstnärliga friheten ska värnas. Motförslagets krav på en översyn av upphovsrätten mot bakgrund av AI-utvecklingen och en harmoniserad EU-upphovsrätt följer av dessa åtaganden och av kravet på enhetliga regler på den inre marknaden.
- protection of intellectual property rightsdecisive»möjligheten att skydda äganderätten till uppfinningar.« (party programme ↗)“the ability to protect intellectual property rights to inventions.”
- property as human right»Rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet och« (party programme ↗)“The right to property is a human right and”
- value artistic freedom»Därför är det viktigt att slå vakt om den konstnärliga friheten.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore it is important to safeguard artistic freedom.”
- harmonized rules in internal market»Det måste ske genom att förenkla regler och förbättra konkurrensen« (party programme ↗)“This must happen by simplifying rules and improving competition”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan requires strong protection for property rights and freedom of enterprise, which includes the right to what one has created, and wants to deepen the internal market for digital products.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires strong protection for property rights and freedom of enterprise, which includes the right to what one has created, and wants to deepen the internal market for digital products. A review of copyright with a view to harmonized EU rules in light of AI development aligns with this and with the plan's view of artificial intelligence as a Swedish area of strength. The plan does not, however, explicitly address copyright.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver ett starkt skydd för äganderätten och näringsfriheten, vilket omfattar rätten till det man skapat, och vill fördjupa den inre marknaden för digitala produkter. En översyn av upphovsrätten med sikte på harmoniserade EU-regler i ljuset av AI-utvecklingen ligger i linje med detta och med att planen ser artificiell intelligens som ett svenskt styrkeområde. Planen behandlar dock inte upphovsrätt uttryckligen.
- strong protection for property rightsdecisive»Äganderätten och näringsfriheten ska ha ett starkt skydd i« (party programme ↗)“Property rights and freedom of enterprise shall have strong protection in”
- harmonized digital internal market»Fördjupa den inre marknaden, inte minst för tjänster och digitala produkter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deepen the internal market, not least for services and digital products”
- Swedish AI expertise»Vi kan bidra mer än de allra flesta exempelvis när det gäller stridsflyg och ubåtar, men även inom telekom och artificiell intelligens.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We can contribute more than most for example in fighter jets and submarines, but also in telecom and artificial intelligence.”
- incentives for innovation»Stärka drivkrafterna för investeringar, forskning och entreprenörskap, genom lägre skatter på företagande« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen incentives for investments, research and entrepreneurship, through lower taxes on business”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan states that outdated copyright rules need to be adapted to how people consume and create content in the digital society, which is precisely what the counter-proposal wants to investigate.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that outdated copyright rules need to be adapted to how people consume and create content in the digital society, which is precisely what the counter-proposal wants to investigate. The plan also protects the rights of artists and citizens to express themselves freely. The support applies to the review in substance; however, the plan is skeptical that the EU determines what content can be distributed digitally.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att föråldrade regler om upphovsrätt behöver anpassas efter hur människor konsumerar och skapar innehåll i det digitala samhället, vilket är just det motförslaget vill utreda. Planen värnar också konstutövares och medborgares rätt att uttrycka sig fritt. Stödet gäller översynen i sak; planen är däremot skeptisk till att EU bestämmer vilket innehåll som får spridas digitalt.
- modernized copyrightdecisive»Föråldrade regler om upphovsrätt behöver också anpassas efter hur människor konsumerar och skapar innehåll i det digitala samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Outdated copyright rules also need to be adapted to how people consume and create content in the digital society.”
- copyright holders' position»Varje journalists, konstutövares och medborgares rätt att uttrycka sig fritt utan att utsättas för hot eller repressalier ska värnas och stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Every journalist's, artist's and citizen's right to express themselves freely without being subjected to threats or reprisals shall be protected and strengthened.”
- no to EU control of content»Sverigedemokraterna vill förhindra pekpinnar från EU som hotar att bestämma vilket innehåll som får tillhandahållas genom digitala tjänster och hur material får spridas på Internet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to prevent pressure from the EU that threatens to determine what content can be provided through digital services and how material can be distributed on the Internet.”
- freedom of expression online»Stärka yttrandefriheten på Internet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen freedom of expression on the Internet”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:NU7)
- Committee report full text (HB01NU7)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1486 — Upphovsrättsliga intäkter av Mirja Räihä och Per-Arne Håkansson (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1522 — Säkra upphovsrätten i ljuset av AI av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:1568 — Innovationsstrategi med immaterialrättsfokus av Åsa Eriksson och Jennie Nilsson (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1633 — Sveriges 13 sämsta lagar av Rickard Nordin och Niels Paarup-Petersen (båda C)
- Motion 2023/24:17 — AI och upphovsrätt av Vasiliki Tsouplaki m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2023/24:2455 — Digitalisering för hela Sverige av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2492 — En näringspolitik för tillväxt av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2538 — Civilrättsliga sanktioner på immaterialrättens område av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2543 — En nationell immaterialrättsstrategi av Cecilia Engström (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:2630 — Immateriella rättigheter av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:348 — Framtidens e-sport av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:427 — Immaterialrättsliga frågor i ett digitalt samhälle av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:446 — Uppfinningslandet Sverige av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:94 — Utredning om rättegångskostnader för immateriella skydd av Lili André (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:989 — Handelspolitik av Lorena Delgado Varas m.fl. (V)
Source: The Swedish Parliament