iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 6h

New strategy paper: Europe's copyright infrastructure should be a federated ecosystem of certified registries, not a central database. By @paul.eurosky.social and @posth.me, drawing on the #CommonsDB pilot, accounting for 6.6M+ verified declarations. openfuture.eu/publication/...

From a Registry to a Registry Ecosystem - CommonsDB Strategy Paper Cover

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

EU copyright reform seeks both stronger rightholder remuneration and control, and more AI training data. Consultation responses show goals collide in this analysis from @paul.eurosky.social, which finds that only a small group proposes a path that could achieve both. openfuture.eu/blog/squarin...

openfuture.eu

Squaring the Copyright and AI Circle – Open Future

Responses to the latest EU copyright consultation fall into two camps, each calling for half of the Commission’s objectives. Only a handful of submissions show how to achieve both. This analysis highl...

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Daniel van Strien @danielvanstrien.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

FineBooks wants to help re-OCR the public domain to unlock a rich source of data for AI, for researchers, and for enjoyment. Step one: work out which modern OCR models are actually good enough.

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

More control for rightsholders or easier access for AI developers? Only shifting the obligation from training to deployment can deliver both. Analysis based on 432 responses to the EU Commission’s call for evidence regarding a new legislative initiative on copyright. openfuture.eu/blog/squarin...

"Squaring the Copyright and AI Circle. The Commission's AI and copyright dilemma, in 432 responses" blog post image.

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 27/07/2026

One last thing before I log off for the summer break: my analysis of all 432 responses to the EU consultation on AI and copyright. Nearly every submission asks the Commission to deliver one half of its dual objective at the expense of the other. A small group shows how the circle could be squared.

Line chart showing positions on the Article 4 TDM exception by stakeholder group. Rightsholders peak at "harden" (95) and "exclude GenAI" (71); tech industry and libraries peak much lower at "keep as is" and "clarify".

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 22/07/2026

Timely reminder, Paris (2026)

FASCIST APOCALYPSE IS NOT THE ONLY OPTION. Poster in a bustop abri on Rue Riquet in the 18th

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

New from 404 Media: a company is selling tons of old books specifically to AI companies and says they have a strong NDA to never reveal which AI company bought all of the books. They don't want headlines of 'we scanned and destroyed millions of books for AI' www.404media.co/ai-companies...

404media.co

AI Companies Are Buying Tons of Old Books Because They're Free of AI Slop

ISBNdb, a company that sources printed books for AI companies to turn into training data, tells clients “the optics problem is real.”

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Who pays for the commons? Generative AI was built on the open web, but little value has flowed back. @paul.eurosky.social’s latest at @botpopuli.bsky.social argues copyright can't fix this on its own — and makes the case for a levy on commercial AI deployment. Read it: botpopuli.net/who-pays-for...

botpopuli.net

Who Pays for the Commons?

Three and a half years after the emergence of generative AI as a new technology paradigm, there is broad agreement that AI companies have extracted enorm...

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 11/07/2026

Very happy to see our Feasibility Study for a European Books Data Commons published. @openfuture.bsky.social has worked with @europeana.bsky.social, @kb.nl & others across the European library community on one question: can Europe's libraries build a single access point for public domain books?

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Internet Archive Europe @internetarchive.eu · 01/07/2026

A copyright exception you can't use isn't really an exception. That's the core of our input to the EU copyright review: close the gap between what the law lets libraries and archives do and what they can do in practice. www.internetarchive.eu/2026/07/01/r... #digitalpreservation #openaccess

internetarchive.eu

Rights on Paper Are Not Enough: Our Input to the EU Copyright Review - Internet Archive Europe

A copyright exception you cannot use is not really an exception. That idea runs through the submission Internet Archive Europe (IAE) submitted to the European Commission this month. On 25 June, we res...

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

The Dutch GPT-NL project shows that refusing data permitted under EU law — in the name of "respecting copyright" — holds the model back. Sustaining Europe's AI ecosystem means rebuilding copyright as a right to be paid. Read more in @paul.eurosky.social's latest: openfuture.eu/blog/gpt-nl-...

openfuture.eu

GPT-NL respects copyright — cui bono? – Open Future

GPT-NL refuses training data that copyright law permits. The result is a model that cannot compete, highlighting why sustaining the information ecosystem requires the right to be paid rather than a ri...

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

The EU has pledged €200 billion for AI. How much of that reflects actual commitments, and how much is political ambition? Our latest report, "From Frameworks to Factories", provides a baseline for analysis: openfuture.eu/publication/...

From Frameworks to Factories report cover

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Unconditional openness doesn't protect the commons when AI companies extract value from public collections at scale. It enables privatization. Analysis by @paul.eurosky.social responds to critiques of our proposed conditional access framework for cultural heritage data: openfuture.eu/blog/beyond-...

openfuture.eu

Beyond Control and Compensation – Open Future

Conditional access to cultural heritage data isn't about control. It is about reciprocity in a context where public collections are being extracted on an industrial scale.

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 05/04/2026

so this weekend’s news reminds me of the fact that (a) they were selling #usaf #f15e branded chocolate bars in iran on 2007 and that (b) i was somewhat competent at predicting the future back then flic.kr/p/49cKrK

flic.kr

Anata F-15 chockolate bars (defiance!)

chocolate bar display box on the counter of a juice stall on the main street in Shiraz. kind of ironic that they put pictures of the same planes on chockolate bars that the US and the Israelies would ...

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Reposted by Paul Keller

João Pedro Quintais @jpquintais.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

🚀 Registrations are now open for the 2026 Institute for Information Law (IViR) Summer Course on International Copyright Law & Policy! Join us for an intensive 5-day program on international copyright law, featuring an incredible lineup of experts 🔗 Details & registration: www.ivir.nl/courses/icl/

ivir.nl

Summer Course on International Copyright Law & Policy 2026 - IVIR

The Institute for Information Law organizes an annual intensive post-graduate course on international copyright law and policy. The face of copyright law and policy changes continuously, mostly due to...

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 23/02/2026

well that was very uneventful @paulk.bsky.social is now @paul.eurosky.social. #eurosky (I guess uneventful is good in this context, so 👏 @eurosky.social)

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 31/01/2026

Publishers blocking @archive.org crawlers over AI concerns. Reporting from @niemanlab.org shows how scarcity-based responses to AI are eroding open web infrastructure in real time: www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/news-p… I wrote about why this path leads nowhere good: www.techpolicy.press/abundance-vs-s…

niemanlab.org

News publishers limit Internet Archive access due to AI scraping concerns

Outlets like The Guardian and The New York Times are scrutinizing digital archives as potential backdoors for AI crawlers.

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Camille Françoise @cmfrancoise.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Don't forget to check the CommonsDB project, a public domain and openly licenced works registery www.commonsdb.org

commonsdb.org

CommonsDB

We are building a public registry for Public Domain and openly licensed works

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Interested in the European Commission's consultation on TDM rights protocols closing 23 January? Our new policy brief by @paulk.bsky.social examines how AI opt-outs evolved in 2025, proposes four principles for a shared vocabulary layer, and provides timely context. openfuture.eu/publication/...

Divergent Mechanisms, Elusive Vocabularies. Open Future Policy Brief #10 Cover.

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 08/01/2026

in the midst of all the chaos I took the train to Warszawa and arrived right on time: blog.voyantes.net/kind-train-g...

blog.voyantes.net

meanwhile...

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

The proposed Digital Omnibus would allow public bodies to charge tech giants different fees for reusing public data. @paulk.bsky.social examines where this works—and where it adds unnecessary complexity—addressing the Paradox of Open and its implications for open data. openfuture.eu/blog/opennes...

openfuture.eu

Openness, Power, and the Paradox of Open Data in the Digital Omnibus – Open Future

The Digital Omnibus goes beyond technical fixes—the EU is finally acknowledging the Paradox of Open. Differentiated charging makes sense. Weakening standard licensing risks fragmentation.

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 06/01/2026

when all of NL is in a #winter meltdown, but you have to get to Warsaw and the train gods like you. Bravo @deutschebahn.com!

Departure board at Amsterdam Central Station. all of the trains are cancelled except the one to Berlin

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

The new Agentic AI Foundation (OpenAI, Google, Microsoft...) will set rules for how AI agents access data. Wikimedia's voice is missing. If this is about the public interest, the digital commons must have a seat at the table. More in the latest from @alek.bsky.social: openfuture.eu/blog/why-wik...

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 03/12/2025

This new impulse paper proposes a framework to help cultural heritage institutions balance their commitment to open access with the increasing AI-driven demand on their collections and infrastructure. ↘️

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

🇪🇺 The EU has the legal tools to build public AI—but uncertainty is holding it back. Article 3 of the CDSM Directive lets research organizations & libraries train models on accessible works. Read @paulk.bsky.social’s latest analysis for more: openfuture.eu/blog/leverag...

openfuture.eu

Leveraging Article 3 of the CDSM Directive to build public AI models – Open Future

Article 3 of the CDSM Directive allows EU research organizations and libraries to train AI models on copyrighted works. This analysis explores how this legal framework enables public AI development.

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

First EU ruling on AI training: TDM exceptions apply, but models can't memorize copyrighted works. Court draws line between learning and leakage, leaving key questions on opt-outs and memorization thresholds. Read @paulk.bsky.social latest: openfuture.eu/blog/gema-v-...

openfuture.eu

GEMA v OpenAI: Memory is Fragile. Garbage Lasts Forever. – Open Future

GEMA's lawsuit against OpenAI has reignited the debate about AI training and copyright. This post examines the relationship between AI training and the TDM exceptions.

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 16/07/2025

I have been a paid subscriber to @404media.co since pretty much day 1. Easily the best $100 you can spend on the internet. Yesterday I accidentally heard their podcast with ads—I’d probably pay $100 just to avoid those cringe-worthy things alone.

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

📝 Voss's draft report on copyright & AI shows irony: questions his own framework only to circle back to it. His focus on remuneration and transparency offers pathways to a more sustainable information ecosystem. Read @paulk.bsky.social’s analysis: openfuture.eu/blog/licensi...

openfuture.eu

Licensing, Levies, and the Limits of Copyright – Open Future

MEP Axel Voss questions his own copyright framework while offering insights on remuneration and transparency for AI.

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

📄 New White Paper: "Beyond AI & Copyright: Funding a Sustainable Information Ecosystem." @paulk.bsky.social examines how AI impacts information control, argues for public AI models, and proposes a levy system on commercial AI services to support the digital commons. openfuture.eu/publication/...

openfuture.eu

Beyond AI and copyright – Open Future

This White Paper calls for a levy on commercial AI systems to fund public infrastructures and ensure a sustainable Digital Knowledge Commons in the generative AI era.

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 26/06/2025

This destroyed so much more than just that. in the years before the ministry experimented funding for social media initiatives(as in media produced by civil society). this initiative (de digitale pioniersregeling was also abruptly killed.

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 20/06/2025

Yesterday we published the first part of a feasibility study for CommonsDB—laying out the design principles for the public registry of Public Domain and openly licensed works that we are currently building. Next step: the first prototype, coming after the summer: www.commonsdb.org/blog/feasibi...

commonsdb.org

CommonsDB Feasibility Study: Laying the Groundwork for a Rights Registry

The first part of the CommonsDB Feasibility Study has been published

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Justus Dreyling @justusdreyling.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

In case you missed our Salon on this misguided proposal from France, read @cmfrancoise.bsky.social's summary on our blog or watch the recording at the link below:

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 11/06/2025

Excellent piece by @jonworth.eu: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... I am taking a night train once or twice a year. When everything works it can be magic (have dinner with friends in Berlin, and breakfast with the family in Amsterdam the next morning) but there is so much unrealized potential!

theguardian.com

Europe was promised a new golden age of the night train. Why are we still waiting? | Jon Worth

Romance, excitement and sustainability – continent-crossing sleeper trains should be a hit. It’s time for the EU to catch on, says writer and campaigner Jon Worth

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

The 🤖💭🐬 case referred to the CJEU focuses not on AI model training issues, but rather on questions arising from their use. Read @paulk.bsky.social's analysis of the first EU court case addressing AI and copyright: copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2025/05/28/d...

copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com

Do AI models dream of dolphins in lake Balaton? - Kluwer Copyright Blog

There is a bit of excitement in copyright circles about the first case referred to the CJEU that directly addresses the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the EU copyright framework.…

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

🐬 @paulk.bsky.social analyzes the first CJEU case on AI and copyright, "Like Company v Google," which examines AI chatbots (wrongly) summarizing online content. Important for anyone tracking AI and copyright law developments. copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2025/05/28/d...

copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com

Do AI models dream of dolphins in lake Balaton? - Kluwer Copyright Blog

There is a bit of excitement in copyright circles about the first case referred to the CJEU that directly addresses the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the EU copyright framework. The...

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 28/05/2025

New blog post: The recent #CJEU referral is a poor test case for clarifying how the EU #copyright framework applies to AI training. The underlying dispute concerns the use of content with a trained model (RAG), not the training process itself. copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2025/05/28/d...

copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com

Do AI models dream of dolphins in lake Balaton? - Kluwer Copyright Blog

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Where’s the Open Data? Hugging the Crawl 🆕 Major open dataset releases in 2024 focus on refining existing data rather than creating new sources. Check details and learn more about data commons and open source AI in this article by @alek.bsky.social for @thenewstack.io thenewstack.io/data-commons...

thenewstack.io

Data Commons Can Save Open AI

Recent progress in open datasets shows promise for building fully open AI models without legal constraints.

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 22/05/2025

#CPDP2025 panel organized by @ivir-uva.bsky.social on the still unresolved question when a summary of GPAI training data is "sufficiently detailed". Despite the clear case for openness and transparency the European Commission's template for transparency reporting is still missing in action.

Panel (from left to right): Kristina Irion (Moderator), Lucie-Aimée Kaffee, Arieën Molema, Yordanka Ivanova and Zuzanna Warso

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

📄 New White Paper on Public AI, a joint effort with @bertelsmannst.bsky.social. The report presents an alternative to today's AI landscape dominated by tech companies: Public AI systems. ⬇️ Download the PDF version: www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/de/publikati...

Public AI - white Paper cover, with Open Future's branded image background.

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

🤖 How can academic communities regain control over AI in knowledge production? New report by Open Future fellow @samuelmoore.org explores governance strategies for the "scholarly commons". Read more ⬇️ openfuture.eu/publication/...

"Governing the scholarly AI Commons" report cover with Open Future background image.

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Reposted by Paul Keller

communia @communia.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

Last chance to register! ⏰ Next week, on May 12, COMMUNIA will host an online Salon on unfair licensing practices. Registrations close on Friday, COB, so be quick! 🏃💨 communia-association.org/event/commun...

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Auschwitz Memorial @auschwitzmemorial.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

2 April 1942 | A Dutch Jewish girl, Mietje Blok, was born in The Hague. She arrived at #Auschwitz on 14 December 1942 in a transport of 757 Jews deported from the occupied Netherlands. She was among the 636 people murdered after selection in a gas chamber.

A portrait photo of a baby girl in a dress.

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

🔔 Our March newsletter is out. We write about the new #CommonsDB initiative, welcome our new colleague @adityaxsingh.bsky.social, and update you on our copyright and public digital infrastructure work. Subscribe to get future issues in your inbox: mailchi.mp/openfuture/d...

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Paul Keller @paul.eurosky.social · 26/03/2025

pretty dystopian vibes in the @nsinternational.com lounge at Rotterdam Central station. Count me among the "detractors".

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Reposted by Paul Keller

Open Future @openfuture.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

New blog post: The EU's AI Code of Practice treats web scraping as the main copyright concern–but what about BitTorrent and other data sources? 🤔 @paulk.bsky.social reflects on why this matters for AI training data. Read more: openfuture.eu/blog/is-web-...

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Reposted by Paul Keller

communia @communia.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Last week, the third draft of the Code of Practice for General Purpose #AI was released. It contains a rather curious limitation, as @paulk.bsky.social points out on the COMMUNIA blog. Is web scraping really the only concern for AI? Read more below ⤵️ communia-association.org/2025/03/21/i...

communia-association.org

Is web scraping the only copyright concern for AI?

Last week the working group chairs in charge of developing the code of practice for providers of General Purpose AI models published the third draft of the code for comments and feedback. We find a ra...

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