10,000 authors publish empty book in AI copyright protest

TL;DR: Around 10,000 authors have contributed to “Don’t Steal This Book”, an empty book listing only their names, distributed at the London book fair. The protest comes a week before the UK government must deliver an economic impact assessment on proposed copyright law changes by 18 March.

Some of Britain’s best-known writers are making their feelings about AI and copyright hard to ignore. Around 10,000 authors, including Kazuo Ishiguro, Philippa Gregory, Richard Osman, Mick Herron, and Malorie Blackman, have published a book containing nothing but their names. The message on its back cover is blunt: “The UK government must not legalise book theft to benefit AI companies.”

The copyright debate

The protest, organised by composer and copyright campaigner Ed Newton-Rex, targets the government’s main proposal in its ongoing copyright consultation. Under the preferred option, AI firms would be free to use copyright-protected work unless the owner specifically opts out.

Ministers face a 18 March deadline to deliver an economic impact assessment and progress update on the consultation. Three alternative options remain on the table: leaving the law unchanged, requiring AI companies to seek licences, or allowing unrestricted use with no opt-out at all.

The publishing industry is also responding commercially. Publishers’ Licensing Services plans to launch a collective licensing scheme at the book fair, inviting the sector to sign up in anticipation of future legal frameworks.

Growing legal pressure

The protest follows a string of legal actions against AI companies worldwide. Anthropic agreed to pay £1.1 billion ($1.5 billion) last year to settle a class-action lawsuit from book authors who alleged the company used pirated copies of their works for training.

The creative sector has been vocal in its opposition, with Elton John among those calling the government “absolute losers” over the proposed relaxation. A government spokesperson confirmed ministers would meet their commitment to update parliament by 18 March, adding they want a copyright regime that “values and protects human creativity”.

Looking forward

With the government’s deadline days away, the outcome of this consultation will set a precedent for how the UK balances AI innovation against creative rights. The empty book protest and parallel licensing initiatives suggest the publishing industry is preparing for both legislative and commercial responses, whatever ministers decide.