The UK’s news sector has united in a striking display of solidarity through the Make it Fair campaign, with newspapers publishing identical editions to protest proposed government changes to copyright laws. At the heart of the issue is a plan to allow technology companies to scrape online data for AI training without proper compensation to content creators, shifting the burden onto creatives to opt out rather than being protected by default. The UK’s creative industries, which contribute over £5 billion to Scotland’s economy alone, argue that an opt-in system is essential to safeguarding their intellectual property from AI exploitation. Academics from Cambridge University have also weighed in, recommending economic impact studies and fair compensation models to address AI-driven copyright concerns.
Despite the UK’s creative sector generating £124.6 billion in 2022, the government’s move to weaken copyright protections in favor of tech industry growth has sparked widespread opposition. Critics warn that these changes would not only harm journalism, entertainment, and the arts but also pose risks to industries reliant on proprietary software and code security. Many argue that the existing 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act already provides sufficient protection and that enforcement—not deregulation—should be the priority. With Labour traditionally supported by the creative industries, this decision raises questions about the government’s willingness to jeopardize relationships with key cultural and economic contributors in pursuit of AI development.
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