Don’t steal our creativity
The imagination of the UK’s creative industries powers the British economy and shapes how the rest of the world sees us as a nation.
The creative works of British artists, authors, journalists, illustrators, photographers, film-makers, scriptwriters, singers and songwriters are being scraped from the internet by tech companies, big and small, to build and maintain AI products that have the potential to reshape our world.
But most of those companies are taking British creativity without permission and, crucially, without payment.
Without fair reward, our creative industries simply won’t survive.
The government must stand behind its creative industries. It’s time to fairly compensate the creators.
Read the Guardian view on AI and copyright here.
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“MAKE IT FAIR”
UK creative industries launch copyright fightback against global tech firms’ AI Models
Hundreds of news brand titles to run a campaign today as the government consultation ends
The UK’s creative industries have today launched a bold campaign to highlight how their content is at risk of being given away for free to AI firms as the government proposes weakening copyright law. A government consultation seeking views on the copyright issue closes today.
The ‘Make it Fair’ campaign was developed to raise awareness among the British public about the existential threat posed to the creative industries from generative AI models, many of which scrape creative content from the internet without permission, acknowledgement, and critically, without payment.
The impact on creative businesses and individuals throughout the country – who collectively generate over £120 billion a year towards the UK economy – will be devastating if this continues unchecked, or worse still if the government legitimises this content theft.
On 25 February, which is the last day of the government’s consultation, regional and national daily news brands are running the same cover wrap and homepage takeover.
The campaign cover wrap states: “MAKE IT FAIR: The government wants to change the UK’s laws to favour big tech platforms so they can use British creative content to power their AI models without our permission or payment. Let’s protect the creative industries – it’s only fair.”
Weekly titles will run the campaign throughout the next week, with the aim of appealing to the British public to write to their MPs and back the creative industries.
Launching the campaign today, Owen Meredith, CEO of News Media Association, said: “We already have gold-standard copyright laws in the UK. They have underpinned growth and job creation in the creative economy across the UK - supporting some of the world’s greatest creators - artists, authors, journalists, scriptwriters, singers and songwriters to name but a few.
“And for a healthy democratic society, copyright is fundamental to publishers’ ability to invest in trusted quality journalism. The only thing which needs affirming is that these laws also apply to AI, and transparency requirements should be introduced to allow creators to understand when their content is being used. Instead, the government proposes to weaken the law and essentially make it legal to steal content.
“There will be no AI innovation without the high-quality content that is the essential fuel for AI models. We’re appealing to the great British public to get behind our ‘Make it Fair’ campaign and call on the government to guarantee creatives are able to secure proper financial reward from AI firms to ensure a sustainable future for both AI and the creative industries.”
Launching a music industry campaign to coincide with the ‘Make it Fair’ campaign, Ed Newton- Rex said: “1,000 UK musicians released a joint album today, recordings of empty studios, calling on the government to change course or risk empty studios becoming the norm. The government’s proposals would hand the life’s work of the UK’s talented creators - its musicians, its writers, its artists - to AI companies, for free. The government must change course and make it fair.”
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Notes to editors:
The Make it Fair campaign will have various spokespeople available for interview on the day. Please contact laura@newsmediauk.org for more information. If you wish to get a copy of the artwork, please speak to paul@newsmediauk.org.
The copyright consultation in short:
On 17 December 2024, the UK government launched a consultation process on copyright and AI.
The government is trying to decide whether to let tech companies use content without permission unless the creators specifically say “no”. Creators argue this puts the burden on them to police their work – which would be both costly and time consuming – and that tech companies should pay for using their content and work.
The UK creative industries, which includes artists, authors, journalists, illustrators, photographers, film makers, scriptwriters, singers and songwriters, generates around £120 billion a year towards the UK economy.
As the government progresses towards an AI Bill, the government must take the consultation responses on board before making a final decision on proposed legislation. The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is responsible for the bill.
MPs are currently debating provisions added to the Data Bill which – in contrast to the government’s plans – would make existing copyright law enforceable in the age of AI.
