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Dan Conway warns against 'great copyright heist' as AI consultation closes
Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, has said “the great copyright heist cannot go unchallenged”, as the deadline for the government’s AI and copyright consultation approaches.
Launched in December, the consultation closes at 23.59pm Tuesday (25th February) after already receiving thousands of responses, it was recently reported.
Conway, of the PA which represents over 150 UK publishers, emphasised the need for government intervention to protect authors’ work.
He said: “The extraordinary strength of support shown in recent weeks for copyright and our world-class creative industries is something the government ignores at its peril. When Booker, Grammy, Oscar and Nobel prize winners are united in calling on the government for a fair hearing, we have to hope they listen.
“The message to government is clear: the great copyright heist cannot go unchallenged. Big Tech needs to pay for the creative and research content they hoover up to train AI, just as they pay for their electricity and other normal costs of running a legally compliant business. We urgently need transparency regulations to lift the lid on AI usage to ensure that the huge opportunities that AI can bring are realised in a way that incentivises growth across the whole economy and is safe and ethical for those who use it.”
He added: “The UK is a content superpower and its creative industries, educational institutions and academic research is the envy of the world. Establishing fair trading practices and encouraging partnership with, rather than subservience to, Big Tech is the way we lift all the boats and deliver for the UK.”
Conway’s comments come as creative industries have launched a "bold campaign" against the proposed AI bill. The "Make It Fair" campaign aims "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 campaign warns that the "impact on creative businesses and individuals throughout the country – who collectively generate over £120bn a year towards the UK economy – would be devastating if this continues unchecked."
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 that 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."
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UK IP watchdog receives 13,000 responses to its copyright consultation, as LBF turns its focus to AIWeekly 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.
Conway’s comments were echoed by the Booksellers Association, which said it would "defend authors having equity and agency on how their work is used or repurposed".
Laura McCormack, head of policy and public affairs at the BA, said: "Bookshops have a strong and historic track record of ardently championing authors by promoting their books, supporting their livelihood and celebrating their worth. In return, authors of all shapes and sizes have become beloved collaborators and firm friends of bookshops throughout the UK – working together frequently on mutually beneficial endeavours such as public events, school visits and book signings.
"Therefore, bookshops are vocal defenders of authors having equity and agency on how their work is used or repurposed, and passionate advocates of a book ecosystem that keeps hardworking authors – not automated AI – at its heart.
"The Booksellers Association supports any constructive conversations with government that leads to the adoption of Baroness Kidron’s amendments in the Data (Use and Access) Bill – keeping authors in control of their copyright, protected them from AI overreach and able to continue their important work with bookshops of spreading the creative industries throughout the UK."
For more information, visit the consultation website.
