VG WORT, in collaboration with RightsDirect, a subsidiary of the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), has announced the expansion of the VG WORT Digital Copyright License (DCL) to include re-use rights for content within artificial intelligence (AI) systems for internal corporate purposes. This enhancement provides German companies and their affiliates with a consistent framework for using legally acquired materials within AI applications while maintaining compliance with copyright regulations.
The VG WORT DCL enables organizations to share and store copyright-protected content internally. With this extension, the license now encompasses specific internal uses of AI, offering a solution for companies that need to integrate copyrighted content into AI workflows. The license applies to works published in German, English, and additional languages.
A VG WORT executive board member emphasized that licensing solutions provide contractual clarity for corporate users, highlighting that the expanded DCL now supports internal AI use cases. The collaboration between VG WORT and RightsDirect reflects the increasing demand for solutions that align copyright compliance with evolving technologies.
A representative from CCC noted the challenges posed by variations in copyright laws and rightsholder permissions, underscoring the need for reliable licensing frameworks to facilitate AI applications in corporate environments.
German companies using the VG WORT DCL are primarily active in sectors such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, medical devices and diagnostics, financial services, automotive, engineering, transportation, and telecommunications.
VG WORT remains the sole collective management organization in Germany that administers rights to written works on behalf of authors and publishers. RightsDirect, headquartered in Amsterdam and established in 2010, collaborates with reproduction rights organizations to develop licensing solutions that support international copyright management.
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