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AI covers built from North Carolina folk singer Murphy Campbell's YouTube performances appeared on streaming services under her name, then her own videos of public-domain songs were hit with copyright claims. The Musicians' Union now uses her case to argue for UK personality rights. Her story suggests a right on paper is only the first of three things artists need.
Artist rightsvia Musicians' Union
On 18 March 2026 the UK government said a copyright exception letting AI firms train on work unless creators opt out is no longer its preferred option. Musicians won this one through public pressure and votes in Parliament, but the government hasn't ruled the idea out, and seven months later an opt-out model is on the table in Australia.
Artist rightsvia GOV.UK (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Is This What We Want?, out on 25 February 2025, is 12 recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, credited to more than 1,000 musicians, whose track titles spell out a message to the UK government. It landed on the day the government's AI copyright consultation closed. As a piece of artist activism it is unusually well designed, and the design is worth copying.
Industryvia Is This What We Want? (artists' campaign)
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