UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s moment to restoring balance to copyright
Q1. Which one of the following countries was the first to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled?
- A. El Salvador
- B. Uruguay
- C. India
- D. Mali
Q2. With reference to the DPIIT Working Paper (2025) on the Generative AI–Copyright interface, consider the following policy approaches:
1. Blanket exemption for AI training data
2. Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception with an opt-out right
3. Voluntary licensing arrangements between rights-holders and AI firms
4. Compulsory acquisition of copyrighted works by the Copyright Board for AI use
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as approaches assessed in the DPIIT working paper?
- Blanket exemption for AI training data
- Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception with an opt-out right
- Voluntary licensing arrangements between rights-holders and AI firms
- Compulsory acquisition of copyrighted works by the Copyright Board for AI use
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q3. The 8-member expert committee constituted in April 2025 to assess the adequacy of India's copyright law for generative AI was set up under which one of the following?
- A. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- B. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- C. Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice
- D. Ministry of Culture
Q4. With reference to India's copyright framework and the DPIIT Working Paper (2025), consider the following statements:
1. The 2012 amendment to the Copyright Act, 1957 introduced a dedicated text and data mining (TDM) exception for training of AI models.
2. The DPIIT Working Paper (2025) proposes, as one option, a purpose-neutral TDM exception conditional on a machine-readable opt-out by rights-holders.
3. Under the Copyright Act, 1957, copyright in original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works subsists for the lifetime of the author plus sixty years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The 2012 amendment to the Copyright Act, 1957 introduced a dedicated text and data mining (TDM) exception for training of AI models.
- The DPIIT Working Paper (2025) proposes, as one option, a purpose-neutral TDM exception conditional on a machine-readable opt-out by rights-holders.
- Under the Copyright Act, 1957, copyright in original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works subsists for the lifetime of the author plus sixty years.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. Consider the following milestones relating to India's engagement with international copyright instruments:
1. The Marrakesh Treaty was adopted under WIPO auspices at Marrakesh, Morocco in 2013.
2. India became the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty in 2014.
3. India acceded to the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) in 2018.
4. India's first Copyright Act was enacted in 1947, immediately after Independence.
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified?
- The Marrakesh Treaty was adopted under WIPO auspices at Marrakesh, Morocco in 2013.
- India became the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty in 2014.
- India acceded to the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) in 2018.
- India's first Copyright Act was enacted in 1947, immediately after Independence.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 3 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 2 and 4