United Kingdom: Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025 including copyright protection regulation enter into force

On 20 August 2025, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025 No. 904 (C. 40)) enters into force, bringing into effect a set of provisions that form Stage 1 of the government's four-stage implementation plan for the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 19 June 2025. Sections 135, 136, and 137 of the Act, establishing reporting and progress requirements in relation to the use of copyright works in the development of artificial intelligence systems. Section 135 requires the Secretary of State to prepare and publish an economic impact assessment on specified aspects of data use within nine months. Section 136 mandates the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the use of copyright-protected material in the training of AI systems. Section 137 imposes a duty to publish a progress statement within six months if the economic impact assessment or the AI copyright report have not yet been published. These provisions establish statutory timelines for disclosure and accountability concerning the intersection of copyright law and AI development, forming part of the Act’s broader data governance framework.