Sony Music has challenged the UK government’s proposed copyright reforms, revealing it has already requested the removal of more than 75,000 AI-generated deepfakes of its artists’ content.
The music giant warned that proposed changes to copyright laws would be “rushed, unbalanced and irreversible” and could significantly harm the British creative economy.
In a submission to the government’s consultation on AI and copyright law, obtained by the Financial Times and The Sunday Times, Sony described the proposals as a threat to an industry that contributes £7.6 billion (USD $8.23 billion at the average exchange rate for 2024) annually to the UK economy.
The consultation, which closed on February 25, centers on plans to introduce a “text and data mining” exemption that would allow AI companies to use copyrighted materials for training purposes without permission unless creators specifically opt out.
“Property owners should not have to proactively assert rights over every piece of their property in order not to have them expropriated,” Sony Music reportedly said in its submission. “To put it in another way, would government require homeowners to tag all their possessions to be protected against burglary?”
The company also underscored the growing challenges faced by the music industry, highlighting the scale of its battle against unauthorized AI reproductions. According to the FT, Sony said in its submission that it had already requested over 75,000 takedowns of AI-generated materials featuring some of its biggest artists, including Harry Styles.
Citing a “person familiar with Sony’s efforts,” the FT reported that “for most labels, the artists copied were their most popular,” such as “Harry Styles, Queen and Beyoncé, in Sony’s case”.
“To put it in another way, would government require homeowners to tag all their possessions to be protected against burglary?”
Sony Music
Notably in February, Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer joined a Daily Mail campaign to oppose the proposed UK rules alongside Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, and Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl.
The proposed changes in the UK also prompted more than 1,000 artists – including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox of Eurythmics, and Damon Albarn of Blur and The Gorillaz – to release a “silent album” protesting the copyright reform proposal.
Titled Is This What We Want?, the silent album features a back cover track list that spells out “The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Industry data suggests these detected fakes represent only a fraction of AI-generated music flooding digital platforms. Music streaming service Deezer recently reported that 10,000 new AI recordings are uploaded to its platform daily. Meanwhile, AI music generation company Mubert claims to have generated as many as 100 million tracks, while similar app Boomy reportedly produced 17 million.
AI startups Suno AI and Udio are also under spotlight over claims that their models were trained without permission. Sony Music Entertainment is among the plaintiffs in federal copyright infringement lawsuits filed against these AI companies in June last year. They are seeking up to $150,000 for each copyright-infringed work from Suno and Udio.
Udio is claimed to be generating 10 recordings per second or 864,000 new recordings in a single day.
Meanwhile, in its submission to the UK government, Sony warned that the proposed opt-out mechanism is “unworkable and illusory,” explaining that even a “single copy of a work anywhere on the internet” without proper tagging could be exploited.
Sony Music took a stance last year, publicly asserting its rights regarding the use of its content in text and data mining (TDM), particularly for AI development.
“We support artists and songwriters taking the lead in embracing new technologies in support of their art. Evolutions in technology have frequently shifted the course of creative industries. AI will likely continue that long-standing trend,” Sony Music said in May 2024.
Sony’s concerns extend beyond its own interests. As the third-largest recorded music market worldwide and the second-biggest exporter of recorded music globally, the UK music industry plays a key role in the national economy. Sony said it has invested over £1 billion ($1.08bn) in the UK over the past decade, as reported by The Sunday Times.
Despite its opposition to the copyright proposal, Sony emphasized it is not against AI innovation. The company reportedly revealed it is currently involved in multiple negotiations to license its IP to AI developers. In 2023, Sony collaborated with David Gilmour of Pink Floyd in creating “a global AI remix project” where fans could remix audio and artwork.
The dispute comes at a time when AI companies are attracting funding, with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon accounting for two-thirds of the $27 billion raised by AI companies in 2023, according to data from private market researchers PitchBook.
Suno AI alone raised $125 million last year, while Udio secured $10 million, both exceeding the average UK AI company investment of £4.6 million ($5m) in 2022.
The UK government’s proposals appear to be part of a wider strategy to make the UK “the best place to start and scale an AI business,” as stated by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Sony said the government’s proposals were likely to “reduce, not increase, AI licensing activity in the UK market,” the Financial Times reported.
The company’s stance is echoed by numerous other organizations and creators across the media and music industries, including prominent artists such as Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney.
Sir Elton John warned in a recent interview with The Times that the UK’s position as a global leader in arts and culture is at risk without strong copyright protection. Similarly, Sir Paul McCartney urged the government to reconsider its plans, stressing its duty to protect creators.
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