“The UK government must not legalise book theft to benefit AI companies,” reads the back cover of a new book being distributed at this year’s London Book Fair.
A treatise on the existential threat that artificial intelligence represents for writers? A compendium of artists’ experiences as they face an uncertain future?
In many ways, yes: it’s an “empty” book in which the only content is a list of the names of thousands of authors, who have published “Don’t Steal This Book” as a way to protest against AI firms using their work without their permission.
Among the illustrious names are Kazuo Ishiguro, Richard Osman, Alan Moore, Marian Keyes, Malorie Blackman, Philippa Gregory and Mick Herron. You can read the full list of authors involved on dontstealthisbook.com.
The website states: “AI companies are building their products by copying millions of books without permission or payment. The UK government is considering legalising this large-scale theft. We urge them to rule this out. AI companies should pay for books, like everyone else.”
The statement adds: “If they don’t, this is what we’ll be left with: empty pages, writers without pay, and readers deprived of the next book they’ll love.”
The organiser of the book, Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and campaigner for protecting artists’ copyright, told the Guardian that the AI industry was “built on stolen work … taken without permission or payment”.
“This is not a victimless crime – generative AI competes with the people whose work it is trained on, robbing them of their livelihoods,” said Newton-Rex. “The government must protect the UK’s creatives, and refuse to legalise the theft of creative work by AI companies.”
The distribution of “Don’t Steal This Book” comes just one week before the UK government is due to issue an assessment on the economic cost of proposed changes in copyright law.
The Guardian notes that British artists have responded with outrage at the main government proposal in the consultation, which proposes letting AI firms use copyright-protected work without the owner’s permission – unless the owner has signalled that they want to opt out.
UK ministers must deliver an economic impact assessment by 18 March, as well as a progress update on a consultation about the legal overhaul.
This year's London Book Fair takes place from 10 - 12 March.
