Protecting creative copyright raised in House of Commons debate on copyright and Artificial Intelligence consultation
The issue of protecting artists' copyright was raised today in the House of Commons by MPs who sought assurances from the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) that the outcomes of a consultation on copyright and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not leave creators facing challenges to protect and monetise their copyright.
As part of a short debate titled AI: Copyright in the Creative Industries, the Labour MP for East Thanet, Polly Billington, asked Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries Sir Chris Bryant MP, what steps DSIT is taking to protect the copyright of people working in the creative industries in the context of artificial intelligence.
In response, the Minister highlighted that creating licensing revenue for creatives is a key goal of the Government’s proposals, put forward in the copyright and AI consultation announced on 17th December 2024:
Our consultation is designed to do two specific things: to make sure there is legal certainty for AI developers and creative industries alike, and to make sure there is more licensing of copyright material by AI developers.
Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries
Ms Billington emphasised that the average visual artist earns below the minimum wage - as highlighted in DACS-commissioned report UK Visual Artists’ Earnings and Contracts by the University of Glasgow - and that artists rely on their copyright royalties to continue their practice. She sought assurances that “the [Government’s] plans for a copyright exception for AI learning will not further contribute to that financial instability and weaken the lifeblood of our creative economy”.
Minister Bryant went on to highlight the successes of the Artist Resale Right and its ongoing global adoption, as providing a blueprint for Government policy that supports artists’ careers and incomes.
We want to make sure—as we did in the last Labour Government, when we introduced the Artist’s Resale Right—that artists can earn a living from their art. That is what we are determined to do. Just as last year New Zealand and Australia entered into the same agreement for an Artist’s Resale Right, we want to make sure that there is a future revenue stream for every single artist in this country.
Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries
You can read a full transcript of the debate here.
DACS will be providing a response to the Government’s Open Consultation on copyright and Artificial Intelligence, which was announced on 17th December 2024, drawing on concerns raised in our AI & Artists Report. The report showed that the overwhelming majority of visual artists want to decide if their work can be used for AI training, whilst showing a willingness to consent to such uses, provided that regulation and compensation mechanisms are in place to ensure that their rights are respected.
We believe that consent, control and remuneration for Intellectual Property (IP) rights should be central to the UK’s goals for AI development and that the onus should not be on rights holders to prevent AI firms from commercially exploiting their data without permission or remuneration.
Any solution in the UK must enable artists to effectively and easily exercise their rights and receive fair compensation for use of their work.
Read more
- How DACS advocates for artists' rights
- On Artificial Intelligence and artists
