Campaign Overview
The UK Government is proposing to introduce major changes to copyright laws which would make it legal for global tech companies to train generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) models using British music – and every other piece of art that has ever been made in the UK - for free, and without permission, unless rights holders ‘opt-out’. However, opting out is currently impossible to do in practice.
These changes would make it difficult for artists to be fairly rewarded for the music they bring into the world, and make it much easier for generative AI tools to artificially produce music which competes directly with real artists.
Music has the power to bring people together in a way that nothing else can, and is one of the purest expressions of our humanity.
Copyright helps to safeguard the value of creativity – and without it, human-made music could become a thing of the past. Standing alongside our partners across the creative industries, we are calling on the UK Government to protect it.
Make It Fair - Don't let AI steal our music.
The BPI, which represents the British recorded music industry, is joining colleagues across the creative industries and calling on the UK Government to protect human creativity in the age of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Government is proposing changes to copyright law which would essentially make it legal for international AI firms to train generative AI models using the UK’s music, books, film and more, without the need for authorisation or compensation.
According to what is being proposed, creators and rights holders would in theory be given the option to ‘opt-out’ of having their work used to train AI models – but other markets have shown that opt-out schemes are unworkable in practice, and ineffective in protecting against misuse and theft.
Intellectual property rights are the foundation upon which Britain’s world leading creative industries are built. Copyright law specifically protects original works on authorship, such as music, from being copied, distributed, or performed without the copyright holder’s permission.
This music campaign is a continuation of the Make It Fair campaign which launched across news media on 25th February, alongside the launch of Is This What We Want, a silent album protesting the Government’s proposals, which features over 1,000 musicians.
Copyright law is fit for purpose and does not need to be changed to accommodate new technologies. Instead, the Government needs to reconfirm the status of copyrighted material and the fact that AI training on copyrighted creative works is unlawful without authorisation.
By ensuring that copyright law is enforced, we will protect the rights of artists and the owners of intellectual property against anyone (including those building AI models) who seeks to illegally use musical works.
The Government should not be introducing any measures that will weaken copyright law and would enable AI companies, already worth billions, to benefit from the work of creatives and those who back them without providing fair compensation.
AI companies should be transparent about the data that they have used to build their models, so that musicians and rights holders enforce their existing rights.
AI outputs (e.g. songs) should be clearly labelled, so that the public are aware what music that has been created by “machines” versus music that has been made by human artistry.
The UK Government has recently consulted on changes to copyright law. Some of the proposals could be harmful to the interests of creative talent and the thriving music industry that supports them. We expect the Government to make decisions in the coming months. You can find out more about the consultation here.
The BPI, which represents British recorded music businesses, along with its members, is campaigning to ensure that copyright remains valued, and that the protection it provides is enforced and not weakened by the UK Government.
Elsewhere, more than 1,000 musicians have come together to release Is This What We Want?, an album protesting the proposed changes to copyright law.
Not at all. AI is a broad term and not all companies are acting irresponsibly. Generative AI which uses models to create new content, is specifically where issues are being experienced in relation to Intellectual Property.
The music industry is pro-AI, when it is built and used responsibly, and has always embraced new technologies. The music industry continues to be at the forefront of innovation, with AI applications being developed and deployed across the music value chain.
This is not about stopping innovation, it is about utilising new technologies for the benefit of human creativity; protecting the tireless hours and resources that go into creating amazing music, and ensuring those who have enabled it retain control over the intellectual property they own and are compensated when it is used.
Training AI models on music without permission means that those who have created and invested in the creation of the music cannot decide how it is used. They also cannot receive fair compensation for its use.
It fundamentally undermines the premise of copyright protection, which the entire music sector and creative industries are based on. In the long term it will lead to less investment in new music, harming the interests of future generations of talent.
A number of resources are available to anyone looking to add their support. Find out more below.
Media
For logos and artist photos, click here
More than 1,000 artists join forces to release Is This What We Want? – an album protesting the UK government’s proposed changes to copyright law
Sir Paul McCartney: Don’t let AI rip off artists
Elton John and Paul McCartney in harmony over the dangers of AI
UMG CEO Sir Lucian Grainge: AI can’t match the human creativity needed for music
https://www.thetimes.com/article/ae1a9849-7f3c-493a-962f-2eae25617eb7?t=1740691421964
Sony Music UK backs the ‘Make It Fair’ campaign
WMG backs the ‘Make It Fair’ campaign
https://www.wmg.com/news/wmg-backs-the-make-it-fair-campaign
Giles Martin explains why you’d be wrong to think ‘AI’ created Lennon’s parts for The Beatles’ Now and Then
https://www.musicradar.com/artists/giles-martin-ai-beatles-now-and-then
Take Action
Writing to or meeting with your Member of Parliament (MP) is one of the most powerful ways to have your voice heard.
If you’re in the music industry, the BPI has an easy-to-adapt template for you to personalise and share with your local MP which can be accessed at this link.
If you’re a BPI member, the organisation is happy to support you by joining any meetings and supplying further briefing materials. For more information on this, contact publicaffairs@bpi.co.uk.
If you’re involved in the wider creative industries, the Creative Rights in AI Coalition, which is made up of a broad group of rights holders, AI businesses, and organisations from across the creative industries, also has a more general template to write to your MP asking them to safeguard creative rights in AI. This can be found at this link.
If you’d like to add your voice to a petition, a public statement on AI training has been launched by campaigner Ed Newton-Rex, and has already been signed by over 47,000 people across the creative industries. Add your name by visiting this link.
Where you can, please also help raise awareness of the creative industries’ concerns across social media.