UK Creative Industry Bodies Jointly Condemn Government’s “Ostrich Policy” on AI Copyright Protection

Several of the UK’s most influential creative industry organizations today issued a joint statement, strongly criticizing the UK government for its “deliberately evasive” stance on copyright protection within its AI policy. They warned that this approach will severely damage the UK’s world-leading creative industries and risk isolating the UK in the global setting of AI ethics standards.

This rare joint condemnation stems from the government’s response to a recent consultation on AI and copyright issues. The creative sector groups pointed out that the government has chosen to ignore their core recommendation: clear legislation stating that AI companies must not use copyrighted works for model training without the explicit permission of the rights holders.

Organizations including Creative UK, the Publishers Association, The Society of Authors, and several bodies representing the music, film, and news industries expressed profound disappointment. They criticized the government for over-relying on an unproven copyright exception scheme for “Text and Data Mining” (TDM), which effectively gives a green light to tech companies to scrape web content without authorization on a massive scale.

A Policy Director at Creative UK stated in the release: “The government’s choice is baffling and deeply damaging. Instead of fostering a healthy market where technological innovation respects creative value, they are creating a ‘free-for-all’ grey area. This amounts to handing over the work and intellectual property of UK creators to big tech companies to train their for-profit AI products, without compensation or consent. It is entirely an ‘Ostrich Policy’.”

Industry leaders emphasized that a fair solution is not opposed to technological innovation but advocates for a model based on “licensing.” They argue that requiring AI developers to negotiate and obtain licenses from rights holders would not only ensure fair compensation for creators but also foster a higher-quality, more transparent, and accountable AI development ecosystem, thereby reducing risks like infringing outputs and misinformation.

They warned that the government’s current stance will disconnect the UK from international best practices. Both the EU’s AI Act and recent legal precedents in Japan lean towards stricter and clearer regulations on the use of copyrighted materials. This risks making the UK an “AI copyright haven,” attracting companies seeking to operate with minimal standards, while forcing domestic creative talent to face unfair competition and eroding rights.

This criticism increases pressure on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The creative sector groups are calling on the government to immediately reassess its position, engage in meaningful collaboration with the creative sector, and develop a framework that supports AI innovation while firmly protecting and rewarding human creativity and investment.

As the global debate on AI and copyright intensifies, the UK government’s next steps will be closely watched, determining whether it sides with the creators who are the source of innovation or with unconstrained technological appropriation.

About Creative UK
Creative UK is a national independent organization representing the UK’s creative industries and advocating for creators. It is dedicated to investing in, supporting, and championing UK creative talent and businesses.