Barry Scannell
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Barry Scannell is a partner in William Fry's Technology Department whose practice addresses artificial intelligence, copyright and regulatory compliance. His work includes advice on AI training data, ownership, licensing and the EU AI Act. He was appointed to Ireland's AI Advisory Council in January 2024.[1][2][3]
Roles and affiliations
William Fry identifies Scannell as advising on text and data mining, AI-related copyright infringement, contracts and dataset agreements. Its account of his practice includes media organisations' data licensing and intellectual-property issues arising from proprietary large language models. These are the firm's descriptions of client work.[1]
The Irish government's January 2024 announcement records his earlier role as Director of Legal Affairs and Regulatory Compliance at the Irish Music Rights Organisation. It describes the AI Advisory Council as providing independent policy advice, both in response to government requests and through its own programme of work. Members serve voluntarily in an individual capacity, rather than representing their employers.[2]
Contributions and positions
AI training and copyright compliance
Scannell's article All AIs on the EU AI Act's Copyright Provisions: Navigating a New Legal Frontier examines general-purpose AI models, text and data mining, transparency and the territorial reach of copyright compliance. It considers Article 53 and Recital 106 of the AI Act alongside the Hamburg litigation involving LAION.[4]
The article highlights a practical problem for commercial model developers: datasets assembled for research may not preserve the rights reservations attached to the original material. Scannell questions how subsequent commercial users can demonstrate compliance in that situation. He also discusses Alexander Peukert's proposed approach to territorial scope, expressly as another scholar's proposal rather than an adopted legal rule.[4]
AI-generated works and Irish copyright policy
In February 2026, Irish Legal News reported Scannell's call for policymakers to address the relationship between Ireland's computer-generated-work provision and EU originality doctrine. He questioned whether section 21(f) of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 could be reconciled with the EU requirement for human creative input. The report presents his interpretation and call for clarification; it does not establish that the provision had been invalidated.[5]
Professional education
IAPP's programme for June 4, 2026 lists Scannell for a Dublin session on AI copyright disputes and governance. Its stated topics include differences across EU, UK and US litigation, training-data documentation, licensing and Article 53 compliance. This is an organiser's account of the session's scope.[6]
Selected works and presentations
- All AIs on the EU AI Act's Copyright Provisions: Navigating a New Legal Frontier — Authored journal article; accessible full text.[4]
- Inside the AI Act: Barry Scannell and John O'Connor on the Transparency Obligations — William Fry podcast with John O'Connor on disclosure and synthetic-content transparency; linked page provides an episode description and player.[3]
News and coverage
- January 17, 2024 — Government announcement of the AI Advisory Council — Official appointment and institutional coverage.[2]
- February 24, 2026 — Ireland at odds with EU on copyright and AI — Independent reporting on Scannell's copyright-policy position.[5]
Related articles
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 William Fry, Barry Scannell, professional profile. Accessed September 9, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council will provide independent expert advice to government, January 17, 2024. Accessed September 9, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 William Fry, Podcast: Inside the AI Act: Barry Scannell and John O'Connor on the Transparency Obligations, 2026, episode description. Accessed September 9, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Barry Scannell, All AIs on the EU AI Act's Copyright Provisions: Navigating a New Legal Frontier, Journal of the Copyright Society, pp. 518–527, full article. Accessed September 9, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Irish Legal News, Ireland at odds with EU on copyright and AI, February 24, 2026. Accessed September 9, 2026.
- ↑ IAPP, Copyright and Wrong: The Evolving AI and Copyright Narrative, AI Governance Global Europe 2026, June 4, 2026, programme entry. Accessed September 9, 2026.