On Wednesday, forty-two German associations and trade unions made a formal appeal for EU legislators to make the draft artificial intelligence rules stricter. With these regulations, they wanted to protect their rights to copyright from ChatGPT. The letter sent out to the European Commission, European Council, and the EU lawmakers was signed by 140,000 authors and performers, which is a large number. These included unions like Verdi and DGB, trade unions for creative sectors, as well as associations for journalists, photographers, illustrators, and designers.
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence technology that has the potential to impact copyright regimes by automatically generating copyrighted materials. It has prompted concerns in the film, music and entertainment industries, as it could easily take away a sizeable portion of their revenues. As the situation stands, the European Commission is currently in discussion to agree on the regulations that would protect the copyright of authors and performers. The letter urges the authorities to make certain modifications in the draft rules to protect the copyright holders more effectively.
Verdi and DGB are German trade unions working for the benefit of employees in the creative sector. They have a very large influence over the creative industry in Europe in particular. The associations for photographers, designers, journalists and illutrators have also established an important role in the industry and are often seen making requests on behalf of their members for greater protection.
The letter outlines the innovation of automated technologies in creative works and how current copyright is failing to provide them the protection they require. With stricter regulations and heavier punishments for infringing copyright, authors and performers can have greater safety in their industry. The associations and trade unions are confident that with these regulations, the rights of authors and performers will be taken more seriously by major corporate players, thereby preventing them from exploiting these people’s intellectual property.
Overall, the letter sent out to the European authorities serves as an important piece of evidence on why copyright reforms are necessary and how violators should be punished accordingly. Keeping these reforms in mind, the authorities should respond accordingly and put the necessary measures in place to protect the rights of authors and performers.
