Multiple European creative industry organizations, representing millions of authors, performers, publishers, and producers, have sharply criticized the European Commission´s recent rollout of Artificial Intelligence Act provisions. These measures, intended to protect intellectual property rights in the era of generative Artificial Intelligence, have been called a ´betrayal´ by a coalition including CISAC, ICMP, IFPI, and IMPALA. According to the group, the final General-Purpose Artificial Intelligence Code of Practice and guidelines published in July 2025 fail to address the sector´s core concerns, effectively undercutting the original legislative intent.
The new requirements, effective August 2, 2024, oblige developers of general-purpose Artificial Intelligence models to document their technical processes and adhere to European copyright law. However, creative stakeholders argue these obligations fall well short of meaningful protection. The coalition asserts their feedback was largely ignored during policy formation, leaving creative rights vulnerable to mass use of protected works for Artificial Intelligence training. They specifically criticize the implementation of Article 53, which was designed to facilitate copyright holders’ rights enforcement, claiming the process serves the interests of generative Artificial Intelligence providers rather than the creators whose works fuel these models.
Tensions are mounting as creative sectors clash with technology companies over intellectual property use, transparency, and fair compensation. The creative alliance, responsible for nearly 7% of EU GDP and 17 million jobs, calls the outcome a missed opportunity and a threat to Europe’s cultural and creative ecosystem, which they argue surpasses even the pharmaceutical, automotive, and high-tech sectors in economic contribution. While Google has agreed to sign the Code and promote responsible Artificial Intelligence deployment, Meta has refused, citing legal uncertainties and overreach.
The coalition is urging the European Commission to revamp the implementation package and adequately enforce Article 53, warning that ongoing scraping and use of protected content by Artificial Intelligence platforms is already causing ´damage and unfair competition´ to artists and companies. They maintain that safeguarding intellectual property in the digital age is critical not only for the creative economy but also for the cultural foundations of Europe and the integrity of the Single Market.
