Music legend Sir Elton John said musicians have been ‘absolutely betrayed’ over AI rules he says tears up traditional copyright laws and said he is ready to challenge it in court
Music legend Elton John has launched a blistering attack on the Government – calling members “absolute losers” and describing a minister as a “bit of a moron”.
The pop icon vented his fury over artificial intelligence (AI) rules which he says betray musicians. He said he is ready to take the Government to court as a battle over copyright heats up.
The Rocket Man singer told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “The government are just being absolute losers, and I’m very angry about it.” And he added: “We’ll fight it all the way”.
He criticised the Government after it rejected a call by the House of Lords to make sure copyright holders – such as musicians and writers – would have to give permission over their work was used. Peers also said creators should be able to see which bits of their work had been used, and by who.
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But this was rejected by ministers, setting up a bruising battle. Sir Elton said the spat has left him feeling “incredibly betrayed”. He said the rules would “rob young people of their legacy and their income, it’s a criminal offence, I think”.
Calling for changes to the controversial Data (Use and Access) Bill, the I’m Still Standing singer described Tech Secretary Peter Kyle “a bit of a moron”.
Opponents argue changes to the law will allow big tech companies to ignore traditional copyright laws and use content such as music without paying for it. Quizzed how this was fair, Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “The government is trying to find a way forward that is dealing with the very real concerns that have been raised and quite passionately by the culture sector, but also making sure that we maintain that world leading position in AI.”
He said he “profoundly disagrees” with Sir Elton’s comment about Mr Kyle. A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology spokesperson said: “The Data (Use and Access) Bill is focused on unlocking the secure and effective use of data for the public interest – boosting the economy by an estimated £10 billion over the course of the next 10 years to help deliver the growth which is fundamental to the government’s plan for change.
“We want our creative industries and AI companies to flourish, which is why we have been separately consulting on a package of measures that we hope will work for both sectors. We have always been clear that we will not rush into any decisions or bring forward any legislation until we are confident that we have a practical plan which delivers on each of our objectives.”