Celebrating World IP Day: A Call for EU Leadership on AI, Copyright and Press Freedom

On this World IP Day (26 April 2025), we call on the European Union to seize its unique opportunity to demonstrate global leadership in the age of AI, prioritising fundamental rights and press freedom which is essential for maintaining the democratic fabric of our society, preventing the spread of disinformation and establishing trust in democratic processes. 

By doing so, we can harness the enormous benefits of AI while safeguarding the principles that underpin our freedoms and rights. 

The regulatory framework at European level for both AI and copyright, competition and innovation must recognise and balance the importance of the economic sustainability of media and creative industries so they can continue to invest in journalism and original content.

In practical and immediate terms, this means that the EU’s AI Act must be rigorously implemented to the letter and in the spirit of a law intended to respect the existing undisputed IP of rightsholders. This includes a clear obligation for AI developers to secure permission to use copyright-protected content as input for training and enriching Large Language Models when rights have been reserved by rightsholders. It also means that AI developers must act transparently and disclose detailed summaries of what content they have used.

The onus on meeting these obligations – transparency, seeking permission and remuneration - must be on the AI developers and not on rightsholders whose content is being used.  

If Europe’s policy makers value our independent media and our creative and cultural industries, they will ensure the AI Act is implemented without loopholes and in clear, unambiguous terms that provide clarity for everyone – rightsholders and AI developers alike. When AI developers and rightsholders work together on a fair and sustainable footing, the benefits to consumers and society at large will be immense. 

The World IP Day is a great day to push for this ambition – remembering that AI will only ever be as good as the content it feeds off.