‘Our work is not yours to give away’: Creative leaders urge Starmer to enforce copyright law
Over 400 artists and media industry leaders have penned an open letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of a vote in the House of Lords on Monday over plans to carve out copyright exemptions for AI companies.
The letter warns: “We will lose an immense growth opportunity if we give our work away at the behest of a handful of powerful overseas tech companies and with it our future income, the UK’s position as a creative powerhouse, and any hope that the technology of daily life will embody the values and laws of the United Kingdom.”
Among its signatories are Paul McCartney, Elton John, Kate Bush, Florence Welch, Richard Curtis, Tom Stoppard, Ian McKellen, Russell T Davies, Kazuo Ishiguro, Dua Lipa and Emily Eavis.
It calls upon Starmer to back Baroness Beeban Kidron’s amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, which aims to give UK creative industries transparency over the copyright of works used by AI models.
Such transparency would allow artists and publishers the ability to hold AI firms accountable for copyright abuse alleged to have taken place since the launch of large-language models in 2022.
Other signatories within the media industry include Reach CEO Piers North, Financial Times CEO John Ridding, Telegraph Media Group CEO Anna Jones, Mail Newspapers editor Ted Verity, News Media Association CEO Owen Meredith, National World editor in chief Gary Shipton, Getty Images co-founder and chair Mark Getty, and PPA CEO Sajeeda Merali.
The latest letter is a continuation of an ongoing effort among the UK creative industry to lobby Government to enforce existing copyright protections against AI companies. In February, UK news brands coordinated coverwraps and homepage takeovers in support of the “Make it Fair” campaign.
Merali has previously warned that AI platforms “are failing to respect existing copyright law and opt-out agreements, jeopardising the funding that makes quality content possible”.
Who will win the AI/publisher copyright fight? With PPA’s Sajeeda Merali
Baroness Kidron: Don’t sacrifice British creatives to the interests of US tech companies
Amendments to the Bill have been tabled ahead of the first day of anticipated “ping pong” in House of Lords Monday. Earlier in the year, provisions to support existing copyright law received cross-party support. However, the Government has also taken a friendly stance to big tech and fledgling AI companies as it seeks to attract investment that could provide a boost to the lagging British economy.
Baroness Kidron’s amendment aims to ensure the Data (Use and Access) Bill makes the risk of copyright infringement too great for AI firms to break the law, ideally leading to the creation of a “dynamic licensing market” where artists and publishers can be compensated fairly for allowing AI companies to train their models on their work.
In a statement, Baroness Kidron called the development of AI and who it benefits among the “most important questions of our time”.
“The UK creative industries reflect our national stories, drive tourism, create wealth for the nation and provide 2.4m jobs across our four nations. They must not be sacrificed to the interests of a handful of US tech companies,” Kidron said.
“Nor should we underestimate the role of human creativity in the joy of being human nor the need for common facts to cement our collective experience.”
She noted that behind the swath of signatories to the open letter stands “thousands of technicians, roadies, agents, costumers, make up, set designers, production and post-production staff, sub-editors, and many more who make their work possible.
“Today, they are raising their voice for all those who make the UK an economic powerhouse of creativity and innovation. Most importantly, they are speaking out to ensure a positive future for the next generation of creators and innovators”.
UK creative industries call on government to ‘make it fair’ in AI era
Read the full open letter
Dear Prime Minister,
Creative copyright is the lifeblood of the creative industries. It recognises the moral authority we have over our work and provides an income stream for 2.4m people across the four nations of the United Kingdom. The fight to defend our creative industries has been joined by scores of UK businesses, including those who use and develop AI.
We are not against progress or innovation. The creative industries have always been early adopters of technology. Indeed, many of the world’s greatest inventions, from the lightbulb to AI itself, have been a result of UK creative minds grappling with technology.
We are wealth creators, we reflect and promote the national stories, we are the innovators of the future, and AI needs us as much as it needs energy and computer skills. We will lose an immense growth opportunity if we give our work away at the behest of a handful of powerful overseas tech companies and with it our future income, the UK’s position as a creative powerhouse, and any hope that the technology of daily life will embody the values and laws of the United Kingdom.
The first job of any government is to protect its citizens. So, we urge His Majesty’s Government to accept the Lords Amendments in the name of Baroness Kidron that put transparency at the heart of the copyright regime and allow both AI developers and creators to develop licensing regimes that will allow for human-created content well into the future. These amendments recognise the crucial role that creative content plays in the development of generative AI. They will spur a dynamic licensing market that will enhance the role of human creativity in the UK, positioning us as a key player in the global AI supply chain.
To parliamentarians on all sides of the political spectrum and in both Houses, we urge you to vote in support of the UK creative industries. Supporting us supports the creators of the future. Our work is not yours to give away.