ICMP & Creative Industries' Letter on implementing EU AI Act

30 October 2024 - Press release

ICMP has co-written a joint letter with European creative industries, creators and rightholders to hundreds of European politicians and decision makers calling for the full and effective implementation of the EU AI Act.

 

Too many AI companies - including Big Tech with AI divisions - are building GenerativeAI off the back of the world’s creative content without licenses – including for the world’s commercial music. ICMP has worked with the EU and others to shape the law, which took effect 1 August. Now it is all about designing how it will be enforced and how AI companies worldwide must act to gain future access to the EU market. This includes:

• Complying with EU copyright laws (practically: getting prior permission from rightholders for the use of music) 
• Completing an EU official template disclosing what they have trained their AI models on 
• Retaining detailed records of content used at a per work levels for up to 10 years 
• Sanctions for breach  

ICMP Director General John Phelan commented:
”The EU AI Act matters for every songwriter, composer and music company not just in Europe, but worldwide. Generative AI is a relatively new technology. As with any tool, it’s how it’s used which counts. Our industry is innovating to deliver music to fans in exciting new ways on two conditions: that human involvement is paramount and music is only used with creators’ consent. 

 

The EU AI act will tackle those AI companies – including some of the biggest in the world - who neglect copyright law and build GenAI without appropriate permissions. Such illegal activity is and will remain unacceptable to creators. Today we’re publicly joining colleagues across various creative industries to call on the EU to continue to work closely with us to ensure these laws move from ink to enforcement. Artificial Intelligence must always respect real rights.”