Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Elton John urge Government to stop letting Big Tech firms 'steal, skim and scrape' their work for AI
Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Paul McCartney are among dozens of British music stars who have demanded that the Government stops AI stealing their life’s work.
The legendary Rolling Stones and Beatles stars have joined forces with Sir Elton John, Sting, Annie Lennox, Kate Bush and Robbie Williams to urge immediate action on copyright theft by American Big Tech firms.
They are among more than 70 leading creative artists and publishers who have called on Sir Keir Starmer to protect their rights before he agrees a UK-US tech pact with Donald Trump during this week’s state visit.
In a letter to the Prime Minister published on Tuesday, the stars say that artists have enjoyed protection for their works under international law and conventions for more than a century - but that this is now being ‘flouted en masse by predominantly overseas tech companies’ to the detriment of Britain’s £127billion creative industries.
They say AI firms have digested ‘millions of copyright works without permission or payment’ – yet ministers have blocked attempts to force AI firms to reveal when they have used protected material.
And a report on possible changes to copyright law is not due until next year, although the Government was forced earlier this year to abandon controversial plans to force firms to opt out if they do not want their content used by AI.
Rivals in their 1960s heyday, legendary Rolling Stones and Beatles stars Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Paul McCartney - pictured at a New York fashion event in 2011 - have both signed a letter demanding urgent action from Sir Keir Starmer on AI copyright theft
Sir Elton John, who headlined Glastonbury in his last ever UK live show, has accused the Government of allowing 'an artist's life work to be stolen, skimmed and scraped' by AI firms
The Cure's Robert Smith, pictured on stage in Colombia in 2023, has urged Labour to stand up to Big Tech and not give Britain's 'cultural heritage and our creative future to Silicon Valley'
The stars told Sir Keir in their letter: ‘Your Government must answer the need to uphold the human rights of creators, not only in its future plans but right now.
‘The first duty of any government is to protect its citizens - not to promote corporate interests, particularly where they are primarily based abroad.’
Sir Elton said: ‘Administration of copyright must be transparent. And it must have an artist's full permission. These two principles are the bedrock of our industry and crucial for the survival of future generations of world-beating UK creatives.
‘What is being waved through leaves the door wide open for an artist's life work to be stolen, skimmed and scraped by Big Tech AI companies. We will not accept this and we will not let the Government forget their election promises to support our creative industries.’
And Robert Smith of The Cure added: ‘The UK Government should not be valuing corporate interests above the rights of its citizens. It should not be giving away our cultural heritage and our creative future to Silicon Valley.
‘It should instead be standing up to the Big Tech AI companies that continue to ignore the many long-established laws of copyright. Artists and creators must retain control over their own work; any eroding of this basic right is simply wrong.’
A UK government spokesman said: ‘Our world-class creative industries are central to our economy, driving growth and jobs nationwide, and we take their concerns seriously.
'That is why by the end of March next year, we will publish a comprehensive Report and Impact Assessment looking at a range of areas including transparency, access to training material, technical standards, licensing, and how best to enforce any new rules.
'No decisions have been taken, but our focus is on both supporting rights holders and creatives, while making sure AI models can be trained on high-quality material in the UK.'
The warnings over copyright theft by AI come as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to agree a tech deal with Donald Trump during the US President's state visit to the UK this week
