Gruffalo illustrator considering legal action against AI firms
0 / 48
English
中文
The Gruffalo has been a staple of children's bookshelves since 1999 The illustrator behind the popular children's book The Gruffalo has told BBC London he is "seriously considering" launching legal action against artificial intelligence (AI) firms he says breach copyright in reproducing his work.
（暂无翻译）
Axel Scheffler, whose illustrations have captivated children since 1999, said he wanted AI companies to stop using artists' work without permission.
（暂无翻译）
The Gruffalo, written by London-born children's author Julia Donaldson, tells the story of a mouse who outsmarts a beast.
（暂无翻译）
"I've been in touch with a lawyer in Germany," Scheffler said.
（暂无翻译）
"There have been illustrators taking legal action against AI companies and I'm seriously considering it.
（暂无翻译）
I just want them to stop." The south London-based artist did not name a company his legal team would consider pursuing.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
AI firms have previously argued that using copyrighted material to train their models does not necessarily constitute copyright infringement.
（暂无翻译）
Axel Scheffler says he wants better protection for creative works Scheffler, who does not own a smartphone, said he tried to ignore AI until someone showed him how his most famous creations had been digitally recreated in locations such as Silicon Valley and Oktoberfest.
（暂无翻译）
"I was quite shocked.
（暂无翻译）
It's clearly my mouse, my Gruffalo, as close as they can do it, but the rest of the image is completely created - it's a clear theft of copyright," he told the BBC.
（暂无翻译）
Scheffler is considering launching the legal action in Germany because he believes the European Union is more creator-friendly. Nick Buckland, an intellectual property lawyer at London firm Lewis Silkin, agreed that Germany could offer a route for creators seeking to protect their work.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
"There have been two cases in Germany where music collecting societies have been able to win against AI companies by showing that those AI companies have copied lyrics of songs verbatim and have presented them," he told the BBC.
（暂无翻译）
But proving copyright infringement could be difficult, he said.
（暂无翻译）
While having a distinctive character such as the Gruffalo could help Scheffler's case, he would need to establish that his copyright had been infringed.
（暂无翻译）
"Generative AI doesn't copy, it trains," Buckland explained.
（暂无翻译）
"This is what AI companies say means that they're not infringing someone's copyright.
（暂无翻译）
"For example, if someone wants a picture of a dog, what the AI machine does is it scans everything it's trained on, millions of pictures of dogs, and then one gets presented to the user."
（暂无翻译）
Nick Buckland said proving copyright infringement would not be straightforward OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is already being sued by German publishing group Penguin Random House, together with author and illustrator Ingo Siegner.
（暂无翻译）
The allegation is that OpenAI copied the children's book character The Little Dragon Coconut (Der kleine Drache Kokosnuss) Whether the AI company has breached copyright law will be decided by the Munich Regional Court in spring 2027.
（暂无翻译）
Carina Mathern, children's and young adult books publisher and member of the management board of Penguin Random House publishing group, said: "Through this lawsuit, we... want to help ensure that copyright remains effectively protected in the age of artificial intelligence and that fair conditions are secured for creative professionals."
（暂无翻译）
An OpenAI spokesperson said: "We're having productive conversations with rightsholders around the world about supporting creativity, including fan art, while protecting intellectual property and taking appropriate action in response to copyright complaints."
（暂无翻译）
The California-based firm said its models were trained in various sources and that copyright holders could submit disputes directly with them.
（暂无翻译）
Penguin Random House is suing OpenAI over AI created-images of Coconut the Little Dragon, like this example on the left.
（暂无翻译）
The original cover is on the right For Scheffler, the issue goes beyond the work of an established illustrator whose Gruffalo books have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide.
（暂无翻译）
He said any legal action would not be about compensation, but about protecting creators now and in the future.
（暂无翻译）
Other artists also fear the possible impact of AI on their livelihoods.
（暂无翻译）
Ivy Deng, who is doing a master's degree in painting at the Royal College of Art, said: "In terms of regulations, I don't feel protected about the fair use of my art." "In terms of the art industry and the people who support art, I have faith that they understand that there is a difference between the process and the perspiration behind developing an art practice and creating something by hand and replicating something in one moment," she added.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Ivy Deng says she has faith people will see the value of human-produced art Prof James Coupe, head of the college's Artificial Intelligence & Digital Art programme, welcomed Scheffler's contribution to the debate.
（暂无翻译）
"We tend to frame this debate as a choice between embracing AI and rejecting it, but that misses the more important question of who gets to shape these technologies and whose interests they serve," he said.
（暂无翻译）
"Art has a vital role here, not because artists should become technology developers, but because artistic practice should challenge the assumptions, values and forms of power that technology often asks us to take for granted."
（暂无翻译）
Last June, the UK government announced £2bn of investment in AI by 2030 "to harness the transformative potential".
（暂无翻译）
Buckland said the government needed to strike a balance between protecting creative industries and allowing AI to develop.
（暂无翻译）
"It seems pretty clear that in order for the AI investment to be maximised, you need to open those floodgates," he said.
（暂无翻译）
"The government has a difficult choice to make.
（暂无翻译）
It's trying to find a middle ground."
（暂无翻译）
Scheffler encouraged artists to continue "drawing by hand and being old-fashioned" The government said it did not accept that backing the creative industries and supporting the AI sector were mutually exclusive.
（暂无翻译）
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said: "We have engaged extensively with creatives, AI firms, industry bodies, unions, academics and AI adopters.
（暂无翻译）
"Copyright laws must protect the UK's position as a creative powerhouse while unlocking the extraordinary potential of AI-driven innovation to grow the economy and improve British lives."
（暂无翻译）
Even so, Scheffler and his publishers are still discussing the possibility of legal action in his native Germany.
（暂无翻译）
For the illustrator, the value of the work itself remains central to the debate. "AI can never replace the hand-drawn image," he said.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
"There's always something lacking.
（暂无翻译）
I recommend drawing by hand and being old-fashioned, and hopefully that will be more appreciated when AI takes over."
（暂无翻译）
AI is creating a 'human premium' for art made by people.
（暂无翻译）
But will it hold? 'Success still seems unreal' says Gruffalo artist Grammarly pulls AI author-impersonation tool after backlash
（暂无翻译）
仅供学习使用，如有侵权请联系删除 · 查看原文