---
title: "Actors, musicians and writers welcome UK U-turn on AI use of copyrighted work"
slug: "actors-musicians-and-writers-welcome-uk-u-turn-on-ai-use-of-copyrighted-work"
date: 2026-03-18
category: tech-pub
tags: []
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/actors-musicians-and-writers-welcome-uk-u-turn-on-ai-use-of-copyrighted-work
---

# Actors, musicians and writers welcome UK U-turn on AI use of copyrighted work

**Published**: 2026-03-18 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

- The UK government has dropped plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted material without permission.

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## Summary

- The UK government has dropped plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted material without permission.
- Technology secretary Liz Kendall stated there is no longer a 'preferred option' on copyright reform.
- The previous proposal would have allowed tech companies to scrape copyrighted work unless rights holders explicitly opted out.
- Actors, musicians and writers welcomed the reversal following significant backlash from the creative sector.

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## Why it matters

The UK government has dropped plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted material without permission.

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## Key Points

- The UK government has dropped plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted material without permission.
- Technology secretary Liz Kendall stated there is no longer a 'preferred option' on copyright reform.
- The previous proposal would have allowed tech companies to scrape copyrighted work unless rights holders explicitly opted out.
- Actors, musicians and writers welcomed the reversal following significant backlash from the creative sector.

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## Nauti's Take

A rare win for creators – at least for now. The original opt-out proposal was industry-friendly to the point of audacity, effectively turning decades of creative work into a free resource for tech giants. Kendall's 'no preferred option' statement sounds diplomatic, but it is a clear retreat. What is missing is any concrete alternative – without one, this victory remains half-baked. The fundamental question of how to fairly compensate creators for AI training data remains unanswered.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is Actors, musicians and writers welcome UK U-turn on AI use of copyrighted work about?

**A:** - The UK government has dropped plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted material without permission.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** The UK government has dropped plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted material without permission.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** The UK government has dropped plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted material without permission.. Technology secretary Liz Kendall stated there is no longer a 'preferred option' on copyright reform.. The previous proposal would have allowed tech companies to scrape copyrighted work unless rights holders explicitly opted out.

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## Related Topics

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## Sources

- [Actors, musicians and writers welcome UK U-turn on AI use of copyrighted work](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/18/actors-musicians-writers-welcome-uk-u-turn-ai-copyright) - The Guardian AI

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-03-20*