The Great Copyright Heist and why it matters to you

I didn’t realise how big this issue is. Until I went to London Book Fair 2025.

My bad.

If you’re an author – whether you’re a best-seller or just getting started – you need to pay attention to the AI and copyright debate.

Why?

This isn’t just about big publishing houses fighting tech giants. It’s about your work, your rights, and the future of creating content.

Let me back up a second.

It’s called ‘the Great Copyright Heist’. AI companies have hoovered up millions of books, articles, and creative works – without our permission – to train large language models.

This isn’t speculation; we know from lawsuits and leaked documents that major AI companies have scraped entire pirate sites – the worst sites in the world, would you believe. On the dark web.

They’ve scraped academic journals as well, and Meta, for one, has smashed through paywalled content from the New York Times to build their systems. This is not a good look.

But what does it all mean for you?

• If you’re an established author, your work might already be inside an AI model – helping it generate similar prose for free. (You’re not paid or recompensed for this, by the way.)
• If you’re a new writer using AI to help craft your novel, you might unknowingly be violating copyright. (And subject to legislative action.)
• If you’re self-publishing, the market for books may be undercut by AI-generated content flooding online platforms.

But – I can hear you say – what about copyright protection? I thought I was already protected?

You and me both.

So this affects all of us, not just publishers and legal teams.?

It’s time to understand what’s at stake.

How AI Is Changing the Publishing Landscape

For decades, the publishing world has adapted to new technology – from the printing press to ebooks.

But AI represents a fundamentally different challenge because it doesn’t just distribute books; it creates them using existing copyrighted works.

The implications are massive:

1. Loss of Licensing Income – AI models trained on copyrighted works mean that authors aren’t being compensated when their content is used.
2. Market Dilution – AI-generated books are already being uploaded in bulk to platforms like Amazon Kindle and self-publishing sites, creating competition against human writers.
3. Legal Grey Areas – Some authors are using AI tools to generate content, but laws differ between countries on whether AI-generated works even qualify for copyright.

So where do you stand in all this?

The ‘Opt-Out’ Problem: Why It’s an Author’s Nightmare

At the heart of the UK’s AI copyright debate is the idea of a new ‘opt-out’ system, which effectively flips existing copyright law on its head.

Under current international law (including the Berne Convention), copyright is automatic – the moment you create something, all rights in it belong to you.

You own all the rights in your work for the duration of your lifetime and for 70 years after your death.

But the UK proposals suggest forcing authors to actively opt out if they don’t want their work used by AI.

And if this switches you lose all the rights to your own work PLUS more than a lifetime’s income within a year or two. Simply because the hard-up tech giants don’t want to pay you.

This is a disaster say the American and the British publishers’ associations.

• It’s impractical –?you can’t constantly monitor AI companies and demand removals.
• It’s unenforceable – there’s no clear way to track if an AI model has already ingested your work.
• It undermines copyright law – why should you have to fight to keep rights you already own?

This is why the publishing industry pushed back recently. As a collective. Writers, musicians, filmmakers.

And while the resistance has slowed down the UK’s plans, similar discussions are happening globally – including in the US, where courts are now dealing with AI-related copyright lawsuits.

New Authors, AI, and the Temptation to Cut Corners

For new authors, AI offers a tempting shortcut. Tools like ChatGPT can help you generate outlines, brainstorm ideas, and even draft passages for you. But is using AI a helpful assistant or a legal risk?

Some real concerns:

• If you use AI to write your novel, who owns the copyright? (There is a question whether AI-generated works even qualify. I'm not a lawyer, but I’ll keep you posted on this one.)
• If AI-generated content gets flagged as plagiarism – even accidentally – you could face legal trouble. (Again, I don’t know how this will play out, I’ll keep you posted.)
• Will readers trust books if they start suspecting everything is AI-written? (Maybe if it’s good it won’t matter, and this doesn’t touch the question of rights in your own work, other than the dilution effect.)

By the way, some publishers seem to be thinking about or requiring disclosure clauses in contracts, forcing authors to state whether they’ve used AI. And indemnity clauses if there is subsequent action taken against them. I kid you not.

If you are using or considering using AI in your writing, you need to tread carefully. Just saying.

What Can You Do?

This fight isn’t just for the publishing giants. Every author should be aware of how AI is reshaping our industry.

Here are some practical things what you can do:

1. Check the Colophon – the Copyright Page Template – If you write and publish books , include a clear copyright statement specifying that your work cannot be used for AI training without permission. (Link to template coming soon.)
2. Add a similar note to the terms and conditions pages of your website, blog or newsletters. It may be help when it comes to any legal claims – made by you or in class actions by the industry – which side of the debate you stand. (Link to template coming soon.)
3. Follow Copyright Cases – The US and UK courts are shaping the future of AI and copyright. Their rulings could define how AI companies are allowed to use books.
4. Support Licensing Solutions – Some AI companies are willing to pay for content. Advocating for fair licensing models helps authors get compensated for their work.
5. Protect Your Own Writing – If you use AI in your work, be transparent and make sure you retain creative control.

This Affects All of Us—Not Just the Big Publishers

This is not just a battle between publishing houses and Silicon Valley.

It’s about every novelist, poet, journalist, and independent author.

First, you lose all rights and future income streams from your life’s work. Your uniqueness dies.

Second, if we let AI companies use our work without consequence, we set a precedent that undermines all creative industries.

Thirdly, copyright isn’t just a legal formality. It protects the stories we tell and ensures that authors can make a living. (For the record the word authors includes film makers and musicians – we’re all authors.)

AI is here to stay, but we must fight for fair rules that respect the people who create the words it learns from.

So keep your eye on this. Because today, it might appear to be an abstract legal debate.

Tomorrow, it could be your book.

**** FYI I would love it if you could share this to your friends who are writers, musicians, content creators. Their copyright is already theirs. But they could be about to lose it.