The UK government has abandoned proposals to create copyright exceptions allowing artificial intelligence (AI) firms to use music without songwriters’ permission. The previous plan would have permitted AI developers to train systems on copyrighted works, offering rightsholders only an opt-out option.
Liz Kendall, minister for innovation and technology, announced the decision following overwhelming opposition from the creative industries. She confirmed that the government “no longer has a preferred option” regarding these copyright exceptions.
Creative Industry Response and Next Steps
The Ivors Academy, representing songwriters and composers, welcomed the move as a “first step” that avoided what it called the “worst outcome.” UK Music, representing the broader industry, urged the government to entirely drop any attempts to revisit the plan during its current term. CEO Tom Kiehl emphasized that the sector’s 220,000 workers, which contribute £8 billion annually to the UK economy, deserve protection from unauthorized use of their work by AI firms.
The government plans to launch a consultation this summer focused on addressing harm caused by unpermitted “digital replicas” while safeguarding legitimate innovation.
Industry Opposition and Coalition Efforts
The proposals had sparked significant backlash from artists and producers. More than 1,000 musicians, including Kate Bush, Damon Albarn, Sam Fender, and Annie Lennox, protested the plans by releasing a silent album. Prominent figures such as Simon Cowell and Sir Elton John publicly opposed the measures.
Producer Giles Martin compared the initial plan to permitting criminals to burgle homes unless explicitly told not to.
In related developments, Sky News and other media organizations recently formed the Standards for Publisher Usage Rights (SPUR) coalition to create industry standards ensuring fairness, consent, and transparency in AI’s use of news content. The coalition highlighted growing concerns about AI’s impact on trust due to opaque content generation practices.
For more stories on this topic, visit our category page.