UK law is failing to protect performers’ rights. We need to act now.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown rapidly across the audio and entertainment industry in recent years, from automated audiobooks and voice assistants to deep fake videos and text to speech tools.
But UK Intellectual Property law has failed to keep pace. And this is leading to performers being exploited.
We know that:
Performers are having their image, voice or likeness reproduced by others, using AI technology, without their consent.
Because of loopholes in the law, performers are not being fairly paid for the reproduction of their work. And sometimes not paid at all.
Performers are kept in the dark about their rights and contracts:
- 79% of performers who have undertaken AI work felt they did not have a full understanding of their performers’ rights (as set out in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988) before signing the contract.
- Performers are being asked to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements without any knowledge of what the job entails.
- 65% of performers think the development of AI technology poses a threat to employment opportunities in the performing arts sector. This figure rose to 93% for audio artists.
- 93% of Equity members think the Government should introduce new legal protections for performers, so that a performance cannot be reproduced by AI technology without their consent.
The government is also planning to introduce a new data mining exemption, which could have catastrophic implications for UK based performers and their professional work if implemented. Read a letter from our Audio Committee to the government to understand more about how this might affect you.
Learn more and spread the word
We’ll soon be calling on the government to modernise the law and strengthen rights for creatives and performers.
But first we need you to raise the alarm – with fellow creatives, Equity members and allies. Tell them about this under the radar exploitation that’s happening right now across our industry.
How we are fighting for our members
We know that AI has the potential to impact our members working in both the audio and audio-visual sector. That is why we are working hard getting our campaign onto the political agenda. Read our latest campaigning update for more information on what we have achieved to date.
Alongside our engagement work with government, we will seek to
- Negotiate new collectively bargained agreements with AI technology companies to protect performers’ rights and ensure payment for their performance.
- Improve existing Film, TV and Radio collectively bargained agreements by negotiating new provisions covering performance synthetisation.
- Work with all industry partners, agents and members to ensure that there is a system of consent and payment when historic performances are utilised by AI technologies, including after the event of a members’ death.
- Provide a scheme of educational tools to equip our members with the knowledge and support they need to protect themselves.
