Tanzanian Copyright Law And Large Language Models: Exploring The Intersection

Albert Moshi, Tanzania Institute of Accountancy, P.O. Box 9522, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Large language models (LLMs) are at the forefront of artificial intelligence, transforming text creation in digital platforms. These models generate human-like text by leveraging patterns learned from large datasets. However, the emergence and rapid usage of large language models in various sectors presents significant challenges to Tanzania's copyright law1, raising crucial questions about authorship, ownership, and the copyright infringement. The Act2 provides the basis for the protection of copyright and related rights within the country, though it was enacted before the emergence of artificial intelligence technologies, including large language models (LLMs). This situation poses challenges on its applicability in the current digital ecosystem. This study aimed to analyse and identify gaps in the existing Tanzanian Copyright law and assess its capacity to address the implication introduced by large language models in text creation. The study revealed that existing Copyright law lacks the necessary provisions to effectively address the implications introduced by large language models. Key issues such as authorship, ownership, and copyright infringement emerged as critical points of concern. The study recommended a collaborative approach involving policymakers, legal experts, and technology developers to create the legal framework that can support the usage of large language models while protecting intellectual property rights.