THE Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) is prepared to adjust existing legal frameworks to strike a balance between protecting copyright owners and supporting the growth of Malaysia’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem.
Deputy Minister Datuk Fuziah Salleh said works generated entirely autonomously by AI, without significant human creative involvement or contribution, are currently not eligible for copyright protection under existing legislation, including the Copyright Act 1987.
She said KPDN’s review of the legal framework would focus on four key areas, including ownership of AI-generated works and the use of copyrighted materials for training AI models.
"Additionally, the focus of adapting the legal framework also involves transparency in the use of training data as well as appropriate mechanisms," she said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara.
Fuziah said efforts to address these issues were being carried out through a series of engagements with various stakeholders to ensure any future policy or legislative approaches would be balanced, practical and aligned with the country’s economic development priorities.
"This is also to maintain a balance between encouraging technological innovation, protecting copyright owners’ rights and ensuring the sustainability of the local creative industry ecosystem," she said.
She was responding to a question from Senator Datuk Wu Him Ven, who asked about measures taken by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) to address AI-related copyright risks and ownership gaps involving AI-generated works, given that the Copyright Act 1987 currently contains no specific provisions protecting such creations.
Fuziah said legal developments and enforcement actions involving copyright and AI technology have so far largely centred on international cases, particularly issues involving the use of news articles, images and audio recordings for AI training purposes.
However, she noted that Malaysia has yet to record any court case establishing legal precedent on copyright infringement involving AI technology.
"As such, there is currently no legal principle established by Malaysian courts regarding this issue," she said.
Fuziah explained that determining whether AI use constitutes copyright infringement would depend on the facts and circumstances of each individual case.
"For civil infringements, the matter is subject to the court’s determination through action filed by the copyright owner.
"Meanwhile, for criminal offences, action is subject to the existence of complaints or investigation requests as well as enforcement measures carried out by KPDN," she said. - August 4, 2026
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