10:25 pm - April 18, 2025
Tech titans spark backlash with anti-copyright stance amid AI copyright battles.
Jack Dorsey has called for the complete eradication of intellectual property law – and Elon Musk agrees. The former Twitter and Square CEO made the blunt demand in a post on X, prompting an immediate “yes” from Musk in support.
Their comments, made without much context, land as lawsuits mount against AI companies for using copyrighted content to train their models. OpenAI – co-founded by Musk – is at the centre of several of them.
Musk’s endorsement of Dorsey’s stance gave the idea far more reach and weight. The Tesla and SpaceX boss has long dismissed the value of patents, once telling Jay Leno they were “for the weak”. In 2014, Tesla pledged not to enforce its patents against others acting “in good faith” – though the company has since pursued legal action, including a recent case against Australian tech firm Cap-XX.
Dorsey, who now backs decentralised social platform Nostr, has previously supported open-source approaches and is known for his interest in challenging traditional media and tech structures.
Criticism was swift. Ed Newton-Rex, head of the nonprofit Fairly Trained, called the exchange “a declaration of all-out war on creators”. He warned that abandoning IP protections would let big companies exploit artists, writers and musicians without consent or payment. Writer Lincoln Michel pointed out that “none of Jack or Elon’s companies would exist without IP law”.
Attorney Nicole Shanahan also pushed back, saying IP rights are what help distinguish human creativity from machine-generated content. Dorsey replied that the current system stifles creativity and gives too much control to intermediaries, arguing that more equitable alternatives should be explored.
Tech investor Chris Messina offered a more sympathetic take, suggesting that IP enforcement for AI-generated content could follow a model of “automated fines or strikes” – in the same way some jurisdictions are replacing minor criminal penalties, such as for cannabis possession, with civil sanctions.
Dorsey doubled down in later posts, claiming that copyright law “benefits lawyers, managers and gatekeepers far more than creators” and that new models could better support artists without the legal overhead. Musk, meanwhile, left his one-word endorsement to speak for itself.
The exchange has reignited tensions between Silicon Valley’s biggest names and the creative industries, many of which are already fighting to protect their work from being used without permission in the development of AI tools.
With policymakers increasingly looking to regulate AI training practices, the positions of figures like Dorsey and Musk could influence debates far beyond social media.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://patentlyo.com/patent/2025/04/jack-dorsey-abolition.html – This article supports the claim that Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk have called for the abolition of intellectual property laws, highlighting the implications of such a move, particularly in light of AI-related legal challenges.
- https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/jack-dorsey-calls-for-end-to-intellectual-property-law/490008 – It corroborates the information that Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk advocate for ending intellectual property law, with Dorsey stating that it inhibits creativity and Musk agreeing with him.
- https://www.fastcompany.com/91316383/elon-musk-and-jack-dorsey-want-to-kill-ip-law-that-would-be-a-huge-mistake – This article further details the controversy surrounding Dorsey and Musk’s stance, emphasizing the potential negative impacts on innovation if intellectual property laws were abolished.
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/delete-all-ip-laws-jack-dorsey-and-elon-musk-as-ai-giants-face-copyright-heat/articleshow/120297423.cms – It reports on the global backlash against AI companies using copyrighted material without permission, providing context for why Dorsey and Musk’s call has sparked significant debate.
- https://ipwatchdog.com/2025/04/15/delete-ip-dorsey-musk-retract-destructive-statements/id=188213/ – This piece discusses the call for abolition and argues that such statements are destructive, highlighting the importance of intellectual property protections for creators.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative references recent and ongoing discussions about intellectual property and AI, suggesting freshness. However, specific dates for recent events are not provided.
Quotes check
Score:
6
Notes:
While quotes are mentioned, there is no immediate verification of their original source or date. The quotes appear to align with public figures’ known stances, but detailed sourcing is lacking.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The information is sourced from a reputable aggregator but lacks a direct link to original reporting. Mashable is mentioned as a source, which generally has a good reputation.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about debate over intellectual property laws involving prominent figures are plausible given current technological advancements and public statements from tech leaders.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
While the narrative covers a plausible and timely topic, it lacks specific verifiable sources for quotes and lacks detailed original reporting. The ongoing nature of the debate and lack of concrete evidence mean the narrative requires further verification.
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