Latest news with #BarbaraHayes
Express Tribune
26-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
With a collective licence, UK authors get a slice of the AI pie
In a major step toward protecting authors' rights in the digital age, UK licencing bodies have announced a "pioneering" new collective licence that will ensure writers are paid when their work is used to train generative AI systems. Created by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) in collaboration with the Publishers' Licensing Services (PLS) and the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), this first-of-its-kind licence is set to be available to AI developers by the end of 2025, reported The Guardian. The move has been described as a "significant development" by the organisations involved, offering a workable and fair alternative to the UK government's controversial proposal for a copyright exemption for text and data mining. That plan, currently under consultation, would allow AI developers to scrape and use copyrighted content unless rights holders opt out, a measure widely criticised by the creative industries. Instead, the collective licence will provide a clear legal route for AI developers to access copyrighted material while compensating the writers and publishers who created it. For authors who don't have the resources or leverage to negotiate directly with tech firms, the licence represents a major shift in power. "The pioneering licence for the use of text in generative AI, such as in the training and fine-tuning of an AI language model or use in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), will be the first of its kind in the UK," PLS and ALCS announced in a joint statement. "It offers a cost-effective and convenient solution to AI developers who are required to obtain permission to use content to innovate and develop models." Protecting creatives The licence builds on collective licensing principles already in place for commercial text and data mining, and for workplace use of content in AI prompts. The CLA is also set to roll out a commercial text and data mining licence on May 1. This broader infrastructure reflects a coordinated industry push to safeguard content creators as AI becomes increasingly sophisticated and ubiquitous. Barbara Hayes, CEO of ALCS, emphasised the licence's importance amid growing pressure from members. "When we surveyed our members last year, they made it clear that they expect us to do something about their works being used to train AI," she said. "The government proposal to introduce a copyright exception would give very limited choice, wouldn't remunerate creators or provide any transparency about which works are being used. We're pleased to be working with our partners at PLS and CLA to develop a licence that delivers on these terms for writers." Indeed, according to the ALCS survey, 81 per cent of writers support the idea of a collective licence if it ensures compensation and transparency, something the opt-out model has failed to guarantee. This UK-based initiative stands in sharp contrast to the challenges faced across the Atlantic. In the US, major authors and publishers have filed lawsuits against companies like Meta and OpenAI for allegedly training models on copyrighted content without permission. Meta has argued that it's "economically unfeasible" to negotiate with individual rights holders, calling such a process "practically impossible" when millions of works are involved. The UK's collective licencing model cuts through that Gordian knot by offering a scalable, rights-respecting solution. "Our goal is to provide a clear, legal pathway for access to quality content," said CLA CEO Mat Pfleger. "One that empowers innovators to develop transformative generative AI technologies whilst respecting copyright and compensating rights holders." Tom West, CEO of PLS, added: "Following an initial consultation phase with publishers last year and significant groundwork over recent months, I am pleased to move forward with this important and much-needed initiative to support an equitable, transparent, and sustainable framework for content use in the age of AI." As the AI industry continues to reshape the creative landscape, this collective licence could offer a much-needed blueprint, ensuring the future of tech is built not on exploitation, but on fair collaboration.
The Guardian
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Collective licence to ensure UK authors get paid for works used to train AI
UK licensing bodies have announced a 'pioneering' collective licence that will allow authors to be paid for the use of their works to train generative AI models. The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) – which is directed by the Publishers' Licensing Services (PLS) and the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), representing publishers and authors – will develop the licence, set to be the first of its kind in the UK. Expected to be made available to AI developers this summer, it will allow copyright holders 'who are not in a position to negotiate direct licensing agreements with AI developers' to be paid for the use of their works. 'When we surveyed our members last year, they made it clear that they expect us to do something about their works being used to train AI,' said ALCS CEO Barbara Hayes. 81% of respondents said that they would want to be part of a collective licensing solution if ALCS was able to secure compensation for the use of writers' works to train AI in cases where individual, case-by-case licensing is not a viable option. The announcement comes as the UK government reviews responses to a consultation on its proposals for a copyright exemption for text and data mining, allowing AI companies to freely use copyrighted works unless rights holders opt out. The new licence 'shows that a copyright exception is neither necessary nor desirable', said the ALCS. The government's proposal 'would give very limited choice, wouldn't remunerate creators or provide any transparency about which works are being used', said Hayes. Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion The collective licence, on the other hand, 'will further demonstrate that licensing is the answer and can provide a market-based solution that is efficient and effective', said Mat Pfleger, the CEO of CLA. 'Our goal is to provide a clear, legal pathway for access to quality content', he added. 'One that empowers innovators to develop transformative generative AI technologies whilst respecting copyright and compensating rights holders and creators where their works are used.' As copyright law continues to be hammered out in the UK, a similar debate has been unfolding in the US, where authors and publishers have filed lawsuits alleging copyright infringement against AI companies including Meta and ChatGPT maker OpenAI for training their models on authors' works without permission. According to Meta's defence, there is 'no economically feasible mechanism' for AI developers to obtain licensed copies of the 'astonishingly large volume' of books needed to train AI. Meta 'would have to initiate individualised negotiations with millions of authors', a process which 'would be onerous for even a few authors; it is practically impossible for hundreds of thousands or millions.' ALCS said that in theory US tech companies would be able to acquire licensed material through the new model. Asked for details on how much money writers might expect to get if they opt in to the scheme, ALCS said it will 'be in a better position to answer this following conversations with prospective licensees.' PLS CEO Tom West said that he is 'pleased to move forward with this important and much needed initiative to support an equitable, transparent, and sustainable framework for content use in the age of AI.'
