The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) contributed to international discussions on artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property (IP) at the Global Forum on AI and IP, organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on 9–10 November 2026.

Representing the world’s largest broadcasting union, Dr. Seemantani, Legal Manager (Regulatory & IP) at ABU, delivered an official statement highlighting the need for greater legal clarity in the use of AI across broadcasting production and distribution, particularly in the diverse regulatory environments of the Asia-Pacific region.

The statement, delivered as part of the Forum’s proceedings, emphasised that AI-related intellectual property challenges cannot be addressed in isolation. For broadcasters, questions surrounding AI training materials, model protection, AI-assisted content creation and ownership of resulting outputs are often interconnected within a single production process.

ABU stressed that these complexities become particularly significant when content is produced and distributed across multiple jurisdictions, each with its own legal, technological and economic considerations.

“Organisations also need to understand how rights and responsibilities move through the different stages of the AI-enabled production and distribution process,” Dr. Sharma stated during the Forum.

Speaking on behalf of ABU, Dr. Seemantani advocated for a more comprehensive approach to intellectual property discussions, encouraging policymakers and industry stakeholders to examine AI-related rights and responsibilities across the entire broadcasting value chain rather than treating individual legal questions separately.

This perspective is particularly relevant to Asia-Pacific broadcasters, whose operations span markets with varying levels of technological development, regulatory frameworks and access to AI-driven production tools.

ABU’s statement now forms part of the official United Nations record, reinforcing the Union’s role in representing broadcasting interests in international policy discussions on emerging technologies and intellectual property.

Through its participation in the WIPO Global Forum, ABU reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the perspectives and practical challenges of broadcasters remain part of the global conversation as AI continues to transform the media industry.