A Response to Opposition of the 'Stealing Isn't Innovation' Campaign

"If [the essay authors] actually cared about independent artists and small and individual creators, they would be looking for solutions that level the playing field and create space for partnerships and deals. Not advocating for massive fair use overreach."

"The campaign's high-level three-word-message was simple and obvious, and difficult to contest. On a policy level, the campaign was widely, and correctly, understood as a clear statement supporting the core principle that training AI models on copyrighted works should be licensed by willing buyers and sellers."

"Since nothing says, 'we're not panicked' like a 1,300-word response to a three-word slogan, featuring measured, sober arguments like 'the NO FAKES Act would be like the [Digital Millennium Copyright Act] DMCA all over again-but for everything.'"

The Human Artistry Campaign launched "Stealing Isn't Innovation," a graphic campaign supported by over 1,000 creators advocating that AI model training on copyrighted works requires licensing agreements between willing buyers and sellers. The Copyright Alliance joined dozens of organizations supporting this creative community initiative. Tech industry representatives, through the Foundation for American Innovation and Public Knowledge, responded with a 1,300-word essay titled "Precision Not Panic," arguing against stricter copyright protections like the NO FAKES Act. However, the tech industry's response appears contradictory, featuring hyperbolic rhetoric while simultaneously criticizing the campaign for reductionist arguments. The tech sector's broader demands, including calls to eliminate intellectual property law and remove Copyright Office leadership, undermine claims of measured, precise policy discussion.

Read at IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Intellectual Property Law