The UK screen sector trade body for independent production and distribution companies, Pact, has this month called on its members to contact their local MPs and respond to the UK government's consultation on the current copyright and AI laws.

Against the backdrop of the UK government's big push on AI, including potentially reforming UK laws in respect of AI and data mining, Pact has taken a firm stance on the matter. It has called the government's desire to follow in the footsteps of the EU AI Act “worrying” and has expressed concern that “control of copyright will become weakened in any future regime”.

“The UK should learn from the EU regime's shortcomings, not blindly imitate it”, they said in a post to their members, where they also urged all members to write to their MPs and publicise the issue as soon as possible.

The UK has well-established copyright laws, and the introduction of a new “text and data mining” exception could significantly alter the status quo, in a bid to attract AI businesses - potentially at the expense of rights holders. 

The consultation remains open to responses before 25 February 2025. To see Reed Smith's in-depth analysis of the proposals and their implications, visit reedsmith.com.