Dear Prime Minister
Many congratulations on your new role.
We hope that you will preside over a government which fully supports the design economy and its intellectual capital which cannot be taken for granted, it must be recognised, protected, and nurtured as a strategic national asset.
Design is the golden thread that runs through the creative industries and underpins all eight of the Government’s growth objectives. Contributing £100 billion to UK GVA and supporting 1.97 million people in design and design-skilled roles, it is a cornerstone of the UK’s economy.
David and Goliath copying is rife and designers need:
The UK’s intellectual property framework is generally regarded as strong. The problem is enforcement. Common criticisms include that litigation remains expensive, many SMEs never take legal action because of cost, and online infringement is difficult to stop.
Please also take an urgent look at what is happening to design within the Creative Industries because of Generative AI data scraping original work without authorisation, transparency or recompense which seriously threatens jobs. I would urge you to consider guardrails for the untethered use of AI to achieve growth.
The Creative Industries are not only a precious cultural UK asset but a significant economic engine for growth and we urge you to champion a clear principle:
AI growth must respect IP rights.
As your previous ministerial experience was rooted in the principle that creative output has economic value and that creators must be able to earn from their work, please consider that the UK cannot build a sustainable AI economy by treating creative works as free raw material. Growth that depends on ignoring IP rights risks undermining the very industries that generate the content, designs, and cultural assets.
With all good wishes as our Prime Minister.
Yours sincerely
Dids Macdonald OBE
Chair and Co-Founder of Anti Copying in Design (ACID)
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