The heads of the world’s three largest music companies have backed a media campaign that opposes the UK Labour government’s controversial AI copyright exception proposal, warning it could severely damage the country’s creative industries.
Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer, and Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl have thrown their weight behind a Daily Mail campaign urging the government to protect creators’ rights.
“The UK stands at a decisive crossroads because what is ‘Made in Britain’ and exported to the world is not limited to physical products, but also intellectual property and copyright including music, visual art, life sciences and more,” said Grainge.
“This is the source of the UK’s tremendous soft power that resonates on a global scale,” the executive added.
Sony Music’s Stringer acknowledged AI’s transformative potential while stressing the importance of fair compensation.
“AI is going to change the world… however, there can be no question that creators must be rewarded for being part of this technological revolution. Safeguarding the existing UK copyright model ensures AI developers and content owners can innovate whilst also recognizing the value of the works on which their products are based.”
“The UK stands at a decisive crossroads because what is ‘Made in Britain’ and exported to the world is not limited to physical products, but also intellectual property and copyright including music.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Universal Music Group
Warner Music’s Kyncl issued a warning about the proposed legislation. “The Government’s proposed exception to copyright for training AI systems would undermine the ability of artists and songwriters, copyright holders that invest in them and the creative community at large, to monetize and control their creative works and earn a living from their creativity.
“This will be very detrimental to the world-leading creative community that has long been the pride of the UK.”
In January, a 50-point AI Opportunities Action Plan was presented to Parliament, aiming to reform the UK’s “text and data mining” regime to be “at least as competitive” as the European Union. The EU’s AI Act, touted as the world’s first comprehensive AI law, allows AI developers to mine copyrighted material from the internet for training purposes unless the copyright owners “opt out” of having their content used. This “opt-out” system means data scraping is allowed unless copyright holders explicitly object.
“Safeguarding the existing UK copyright model ensures AI developers and content owners can innovate whilst also recognizing the value of the works on which their products are based.”
Rob Stringer, Sony Music Group
Under the proposed changes in the UK, AI companies would also be granted a text and data mining exemption, allowing them to feed copyrighted content to their AI models without seeking permission or providing compensation. Instead of automatic protection, creators would need to actively “opt out” or “reserve their rights” from having their work used.
The EU’s AI Act has prompted some music majors to clarify that they don’t consent to their copyrighted works being used for AI without prior authorization. Sony Music sent a letter to 700 AI developers and music streaming services in May 2024, declaring it’s opting out of having its materials used to train AI. Warner Music sent a letter to tech companies a month later, notifying them they need permission to use its content.
In the UK, the proposed AI copyright reforms suffered a parliamentary defeat in late January, with the House of Lords — which has the final say on the passage of bills after they’ve been voted on in the House of Commons — voting 145 to 126 in favor of amendments to the bill.
“The Government’s proposed exception to copyright for training AI systems would undermine the ability of artists and songwriters, copyright holders that invest in them… This will be very detrimental to the world-leading creative community.”
Robert Kyncl, Warner Music Group
“It surely goes without saying that our United Kingdom copyright law has to counter the increasing theft of intellectual property by artificial intelligence companies,” Baron Berkeley of Knighton said at the time.
The timing of the Daily Mail’s campaign is critical, with public consultation on the proposal concluding next week. While the government argues these changes would attract AI developers to the UK while protecting creative industries, the lack of an economic impact assessment has raised concerns among industry leaders.
Viscount Rothermere, Chairman of Daily Mail and General Trust, said: “The Government hasn’t even done an economic assessment of its plan; who is telling it this is the best way to kick-start growth in the UK? True, artists could reserve their rights, but why should they carry all the burden of defending their work against exploitation by AI?”
Music legends like Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney have also raised concerns about the proposed AI copyright changes, warning they threaten the future of creative arts in the UK.
In a recent interview with The Times, Elton John said, “Without thorough and robust copyright protection that allows artists to earn hard-fought earnings from their music, the UK’s future place on the world stage as a leader in arts and popular culture is under serious jeopardy.
“It is the absolute bedrock of artistic prosperity, and the country’s future success in the creative industries depends upon it.”
Meanwhile, McCartney appealed to the government to rethink the plans, saying, “We’re the people, you’re the government! You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job.”
McCartney, while acknowledging AI’s benefits, cited his own experience with the technology: “We took an old cassette of John’s and cleaned his voice up so it sounded like it had just been recorded yesterday. So it has its uses. But it shouldn’t rip creative people off. There’s no sense in that,” McCartney, one of the two surviving members of the Beatles, told BBC in January.
Music Business Worldwide
