A team of researchers from the United Kingdom has conducted a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of current intellectual property (IP) laws in relation to emerging technologies like the metaverse. The study aimed to identify the limitations of existing laws and put forth recommendations for improvement.
On March 7, the U.K. government released a research report titled “IP and Metaverse,” which was commissioned externally. The report extensively explored the existing literature on IP laws and their applicability to the metaverse. The researchers discovered that there are specific IP issues associated with the metaverse, such as governance of IP in an interoperable environment and the regulation of technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) within virtual worlds.
According to the report, the interoperability of different systems presents numerous legal challenges, including the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials. The researchers emphasized that the lack of interoperability has played a vital role in preventing the illegal dissemination of copyrighted content. However, in the context of the metaverse, where interoperability is a crucial feature, the researchers believe that governing the use and circulation of copyrighted works could become a challenge.
Additionally, the inherent characteristics of blockchain, such as immutability and being “tamper-proof,” also pose difficulties in enforcing IP laws. The researchers noted that these characteristics hinder the enforcement process.
Furthermore, the use of AI in governing IP within the potential metaverse also presents anticipated challenges. The researchers argued that the algorithmic management of IP infringements is “extremely vulnerable to misuse” due to the absence of human oversight to ensure the legitimacy of enforcement.
Moreover, AI-generated content raises another challenge for IP enforcement in the metaverse. The study revealed that relying on AI tools has the potential to invalidate claims of inventorship in content. The researchers provided examples and cases that showed only works partially assisted by AI are eligible for protection under IP laws.
Considering the anticipated issues in governing IP within the metaverse, the researchers concluded that there is a pressing need for clarity on various key issues. This includes addressing legal concerns related to copyrights, trademarks, patents, designs, user-generated content, virtual property, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) within the metaverse. Consequently, the researchers emphasized the necessity of formulating IP strategies to tackle governance and enforcement challenges in the evolving metaverse.
In an unrelated development, Tony Pearce’s journey through time and space is explored in the web3 platform, where he encounters the iconic character Doctor Who.