SAA - Society of Audiovisual Authors

The EU Parliament workshop on copyright and AI echoes our views

On 4 June the Legal Affairs Committee organised a very interesting workshop on Generative AI and copyright. Three academics were invited to present their research:

• Prof. Dr. Nicola Lucchi pointed out that the TDM exceptions were not designed for the scale or purpose of GenAI. Copyright has historically adapted to technological shifts, the problem is when the law is being twisted to serve technology. Among other proposals, Prof. Dr. Nicola Lucchi recommended to restore prior authorisation for GenAI training and to establish a high-level expert group to develop technical standards and pilot remuneration models.

• Dr Axel Brando explained that AI models do not learn like humans, rather, they statistically approximate data points through high-dimensional hypersurfaces. These models are trained on copyrighted works, which leaves the challenge of verifying whether the generated content is genuinely new and tracing it back to the original data sources.

• Prof. Dr Christian Peukert concluded that the most important thing is to avoid blanket exceptions without compensation because it can erode data quality in the future. Ultimately, a balance must strike between the interests of rightsholders, research and development and the interest of society.

I was invited to very briefly present the SAA's perspective to the Committee members, so I made two points:

• First (and just like Prof. Dr. Lucchi said), I emphasised that the text and data mining exception is not suitable for GenAI. I expressed SAA’s disagreement with the Commission's interpretation and we do not believe a registry of opt-outs would benefit authors.
• Second, we need actions that foster collective licensing mechanisms to deliver remuneration to authors. Our member CMOs are well-placed to play a role in negotiating licences and remuneration with AI companies. 

Despite the strong evidence-based arguments of the academics, the EU Commission responded with their usual rhetoric that the TDM exception is the relevant legal framework and that opting-out is the solution for rightholders to regain control over their works and rights. It was as if they had not heard a word (here you can see the workshop recording and the presentations).

This workshop was organised to inform the draft report on copyright and generative AI to be presented by MEP Axel Voss mid-July. The SAA sent the rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs a contribution calling for an urgent dialogue between AI developers and the cultural and creative sectors facilitated by the Commission and for the remuneration of authors to be at the centre of discussions.

Contributing to a new Culture Compass for Europe

We responded to the EU Commission's targeted stakeholder consultation on a new strategic policy initiative for a Culture Compass for Europe. We called on the new Cultural Compass to put the EU values and fundamental rights, including copyright, at the heart of its guiding principles for cultural policies, supporting programmes and other EUs priorities, and to encompass the audiovisual sector.

We'll keep you posted as this initiative (hopefully) soon becomes more concrete. You can read more on our section dedicated to SAA contributions.

Screening of "Loss of Balance"

On 24 June, the SAA joined the screening of "Loss of Balance", a Polish drama and the directorial debut of Korek Bojanowski. Hosted by EFAD and the Polish Film Institute, the event was organised in partnership with European associations in the culture and audiovisual sectors, including the SAA.

After the screening, Korek Bojanowski spoke to the audience about the research that went into the film, which included conversations with actors about their experiences at Polish film schools. His powerful film depicts the conditions and suffering that young, aspiring actors may experience at acting school. Add it to your watch list when it becomes available!

New website!

Lastly, we launched our new website this month. It's designed to help you find what you need faster with fewer clicks. It has a smarter search function and a modern look for both light and dark modes. Most importantly, it now showcases our Board of Patrons and Members better. I hope you enjoy it!

Sunny greetings,

Cécile