“Fair Use Will Balance AI And Creators”: USPTO On AI’s Relationship To Intellectual Property

By Ross Moyo

AI was the hot topic closing the digital press briefing with Katherine Hiner of the of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Brought by the Department of State of the United States of America, TechnoMag’s participation in yesterday’s digital press briefing with Katherine Hiner of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office saw Ms Hiner speak about the IP for Growth initiative and the role of intellectual property protection in supporting Africa’s creative economy. The USPTO IP guru expounded how intellectual property serves as an enzyme for growth giving a foundation for creativity, investment, and economic opportunity for Zimbabwe, Africa and USA relations with the continent.

After TechnoMag journalist Ross Moyo posed 5 questions including on Ai, “On AI Disruption: Are AI models from China and other markets disrupting IP enforcement globally? Specifically, how is the USPTO advising African countries on protecting copyrights, patents and trademarks when AI tools can scrape, replicate and retrain on African creative and tech content at scale?

TechnoMag posed another question on Startups & Investment: “Zimbabwe’s tech ecosystem is producing fintech, agritech and AI startups. How can US IP protections help these startups attract US investment and avoid having their ideas copied when they scale globally?”

The TechnoMag scribe further asked whether “AI models from China are disrupting IP” and
Hiners response was more diplomatic:

“Copyright protection plays an essential role in safeguarding the creative works of artists, authors and innovators and serves as the foundation for fostering continued innovation in AI technologies. Established legal doctrines such as fair use and fair dealing will play a critical role in balancing the interests of creators and innovators.”

She said legal processes will help resolve conflicts as AI and creativity intersect.

CONTEXT: “IP FOR GROWTH” INITIATIVE
The briefing launched “IP for Growth”, a year-long US government initiative.
It started in Geneva at WIPO, then held workshops in Lagos and Johannesburg with artists, lawyers, producers, and policymakers. The goal: show how strong IP protection can empower Africa’s creative economy.

Hiner’s message throughout was that: “Music is not just for fun. It is a business.”