Government responds to Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee report on ‘Creator Remuneration’
The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee has published the UK Government’s response to the recommendations made in the 'Creator Remuneration' report.
The Committee’s report, which was published in April 2024 and for which DACS provided evidence, recommended:
- the introduction of a statutory private copying scheme,
- the appointment of a Freelancer Commissioner, with appropriate powers and cross-departmental oversight, to advocate across Government in the interests of creative freelancers,
- that the UK Government ensure that creators have proper mechanisms to enforce their consent and receive fair compensation for the use of their work by Artificial Intelligence (AI) developers.
The UK Government has now addressed these recommendations, in a response by Sir Chris Bryant MP (Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism) and Feryal Clark MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government) to the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP.
The Government’s response recognises the importance of self-employed workers and creatives within the sector, as well as the benefits that self-employment can bring to workers, such as flexibility and control, whilst highlighting the significant challenges that self-employed workers face, including not having access to sick pay and a lack of job security. The response lays out plans to work with the creative industries as part of the next phase of the Good Work Review to address specific issues for self-employed workers across the sector.
DACS welcomes the Government’s ongoing engagement with Creator Remuneration. There is a clear value gap between the economic impact of our creative industries, and the remuneration of the freelance artists and creatives who drive its success. As the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee found, low pay and precarity for freelance creatives must be addressed: to support our creative talent, to maintain the UK’s position as a leader in creativity, and to ensure the growth of our creative industries.
DACS CEO
On the proposals for a private copying remuneration scheme, the response to the committee’s recommendation to introduce a scheme in the UK indicates that further consultation between the government and industry will explore this in greater detail. DACS looks forward to engaging with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) throughout this process.
On AI regulation, the Government acknowledges that the current lack of legal certainty around the development of AI models is impacting both rightsholders and AI developers, reiterating its commitment to striking the right balance between fostering innovation and ensuring protection for creators and investment in the creative industries. The response states that the next steps in this process will be announced soon.
Read more
- DACS submits evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on Creator Remuneration.
- Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee recommends the implementation of the Smart Fund to support UK creators
