Over 1,000 Artists, Including Annie Lennox and Damon Albarn, Condemn Changes to UK Copyright Laws
In a powerful protest against proposed changes to UK copyright laws, over 1,000 musicians, including Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush, have released a silent album titled Is This What We Want? on Tuesday. The protest highlights concerns that the UK government’s new laws could allow AI companies to use copyrighted content without permission, threatening the livelihoods of creators in the music industry.
Under the new proposals, AI developers would be able to use creators’ online content to train models unless copyright holders explicitly opt out. The artists fear these changes would encourage the exploitation of their work without adequate compensation.
The silent album, which includes tracks of empty performance spaces and studios, symbolises what these artists see as the potential silence of future music industries. The tracklist directly conveys the message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Prominent figures from across the music world, including Billy Ocean, Ed O’Brien from Radiohead, and Bastille’s Dan Smith, have backed the initiative. All profits from the album will be donated to Help Musicians.
The UK government is consulting on these changes, with AI companies able to use online content for text and data mining. Critics argue that the opt-out mechanism proposed would be impractical for individual creators to manage, as it would be impossible to monitor where their work is being used across the vast expanse of the internet.
The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) has stated that it is still working on the new approach and has emphasised that no decisions have been made yet. However, critics believe the changes could undermine the future of the UK’s creative industries, which contributed a record £7.6 billion to the economy in 2023.
Supporters of the protest, including Imogen Heap, Yusuf aka Cat Stevens, and Riz Ahmed, have voiced their concerns that these changes could irreparably harm not only musicians but also artists from other fields. They argue that the law could disproportionately benefit AI developers at the expense of creatives.
Organiser Ed Newton-Rex has called the proposed changes “disastrous for musicians” and unnecessary, stressing that the UK has the potential to lead in AI innovation without sacrificing its artistic legacy. Singer-songwriter Naomi Kimpenu has also expressed fears that the law would rob emerging artists of their opportunities.
In a broader push, the Make It Fair campaign, launched by the UK’s creative industries, is urging the public to contact MPs to oppose the government’s planned changes. This campaign has seen widespread support, with major figures from the arts and entertainment industries rallying behind the cause.
