The Problem of Copyright Infringement in Text and Data Mining (TDM) Under the Copyright Act B.E. 2537: A Comparative Study Between Thailand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and China
Keywords:
Text and Data Mining (TDM), Copyright Infringement, Fair Use Doctrine, Copyright Infringement ExceptionAbstract
This article examines the problem of copyright infringement in the context of Text and Data Mining (TDM) under Thailand’s Copyright Act B.E. 2537 (1994), comparing it with the legal frameworks of the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. TDM, a key process in extracting insights from large datasets, often requires reproducing copyrighted materials, raising copyright infringement concerns. While countries like Japan and the U.S. have adopted flexible or specific exceptions facilitating TDM, Thailand’s current legal structure, particularly Section 32 and its interpretation by the Supreme Court, offers limited scope for such activities even for non-commercial purposes. This restrictiveness hinders innovation and places Thailand at a competitive disadvantage. The study highlights the need to amend Thai copyright law to explicitly permit TDM, ensuring both legal clarity and support for technological advancement in line with global practices.
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