News Summary

A group of prominent authors, including Richard Osman, Kazuo Ishiguro, Kate Mosse, and Val McDermid, have signed an open letter urging the UK government to hold Meta accountable for allegedly using copyrighted books to train its AI models. The authors claim that Meta’s actions constitute a clear infringement of copyright law, as they reportedly used a database known as LibGen, which contains millions of pirated books. This call to action highlights the ongoing tension between global tech companies and content creators over the use of copyrighted material without adequate compensation. The authors argue that tech giants like Meta operate without sufficient scrutiny, potentially jeopardizing the livelihoods of creators. The open letter demands that the UK government ensure the protection of authors’ rights and calls for Meta to provide assurances against further unlawful use of copyrighted works. Meta, however, has defended its practices, asserting the importance of fair use in the development of its generative AI models.