UK Law and Practice Contributed by: Jamie Singer and Flora Peel, Onside Law
ing to persuade the government to pass this legislation. This bill would include provisions to address concerns about discriminatory algo - rithms and privacy risks associated with AI’s use in employment decisions, such as analysing job applicants’ facial expressions and tone of voice. The UK government has decided against expanding exceptions for text and data min - ing without permission or a license. However, it acknowledges the need to clarify how AI devel - opers can use copyrighted works and data for training AI models. The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is working on a voluntary Code of Practice on copyright and AI, which aims to facil - itate commercial licences for data mining while protecting copyright holders’ rights. A report by the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee highlights concerns the use of large language models (LLMs) and gen - erative AI, stressing the importance of upholding copyright law and ensuring fair compensation for rightsholders. The report recommends that the government collaborate with licensing agen - cies to create large datasets that can be licensed for LLM training, emphasising the economic, political, and societal benefits of maintaining a respected copyright regime. It also calls on the government to take proactive steps rather than relying solely on case law to address these issues and promote innovation. 10.3 The Metaverse The metaverse is currently a hypothetical future version of the internet within a single virtual world that can be accessed through virtual real - ity and augmented reality. The development of the metaverse continues to be a key area in the ever-evolving world of technology. However, how the metaverse will develop and the impact
it will have on sport are yet to be fully seen, and the UK is not leading on this so far. The metaverse initially developed within media, fashion and entertainment, but has recently drawn the attention of sports rights-holders, exemplified by collaborations such as Manches - ter City’s virtual Etihad Stadium and the virtual hosting of the Australian Open in Decentraland. As the metaverse continues to evolve, stake - holders must address key issues to harness its full potential while navigating its complexities responsibly. The landscape of the internet is currently cen - tralised, with major platforms like Facebook, Google and Amazon controlling access to information on their private servers. However, as the metaverse emerges, there is a push for decentralisation and interoperability in a seam - less environment where economies, avatars and technologies interact freely. Achieving true interoperability requires stakeholders to recon - sider their approach to intellectual property and licensing. Within this evolving digital realm, opportunities arise for rights-holders to engage with fans and brands, necessitating the securing of intellectual property rights for virtual products like football kits. Additionally, broadcasting sports events in the metaverse requires the restructuring of tra - ditional broadcasting deals to align with modern trends. As brands navigate this new frontier, they need to prioritise protecting and promoting their trade marks while grappling with enforcement challenges in a realm where intellectual property rights are easily infringed. Moreover, the integration of XR technology raises data privacy concerns, especially regard - ing biometric data, necessitating compliance
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