New Creative Rights in AI Coalition calls on government to protect copyright

A new coalition of rights holders including publishers, authors, artists, music businesses, specialist interest publications, unions, and photographers has called on the UK Government to spur growth in the creative and tech sectors by protecting copyright ahead of an imminent consultation. The Creative Rights in AI Coalition has published three initial principles for copyright and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) policy, spanning IP in a dynamic licensing market, transparency, and growth & innovation.

The initial members of the Creative Rights in AI Coalition include:

  • Independent Society of Musicians
  • DMG Media
  • Association of Photographers
  • Association of Online Publishers
  • Professional Publishers Association
  • NLA Media Access Limited
  • Publishers’ Licensing Services
  • Association of Illustrators
  • PRS for Music
  • News Media Association
  • Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers
  • International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers
  • Publishers Association
  • Copyright Licensing Agency
  • The Associated Press
  • The Society of Artists Agents
  • European Publishers Council
  • Society of Editors
  • Independent Publishers Alliance
  • British Copyright Council
  • Society of Authors
  • News Media Europe
  • Pan Macmillan
  • Association of Authors’ Agents
  • Financial Times
  • Creators’ Rights Alliance
  • Guardian News & Media
  • Authors’ Licencing and Collecting Society
  • Mumsnet
  • Artists’ Collecting Society
  • Music Publishers Association
  • Picture Industry Collecting Society for Effective Licensing
  • Getty Images
  • British Phonographic Industry
  • Association of Independent Music
  • CILIP – the library and information association
  • PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd)
  • UK Music
  • Independent Publishers Guild
  • Motion Picture Association
  • Telegraph Media Group

The launch is accompanied by the publication of new nationally representative public polling from Reset Tech and YouGov which found that the public overwhelmingly back transparency in the training of AI models and the payment of royalties to content creators by tech firms. 72% of respondents said AI companies should be required to pay royalties to the creators of text, audio, or video that they use to train AI models, while 80% said AI companies should be required to make public all the information that their models have been trained upon.

In a statement, the coalition said: “The UK’s world-leading creative and tech sectors put it in a unique position to set a global standard for how both sectors can innovate together and continue to provide high quality services. Protecting copyright and building a dynamic licensing market for the use of creative content in building generative AI isn’t just a question of fairness: it’s the only way that both sectors will flourish and grow. The UK creative industries generate well over £100 billion annually. We have, quite literally, earned the right to have our voice heard. The key to that success, and future growth, is copyright law.”

You can find out more about the Creative Rights in AI Coalition here.