3 min readUpdated: Mar 13, 2026 07:32 PM IST
On March 10, as many as 10,000 authors collectively released a book to challenge the systematic theft of human creativity by AI companies. The book, ironically titled ‘Don’t Steal This Book’, contains nothing, except a list of its contributing authors.
Physical copies of the book were distributed at the London Book Fair to pressure UK ministers ahead of a decision on copyright law reforms.
Why now?
The book comes ahead of proposed changes to UK copyright law that would purportedly allow AI companies to train their models on copyrighted works without permission or payment.
As per the proposal, writers, who do not want AI to train on their work, would have to actively opt out. Those criticising the proposal call it a backwards and unworkable mechanism.
Who is involved?
The book is the brainchild of composer and copyright advocate Ed Newton-Rex, whom The Guardian describes as an “artists’ copyright vigilante.” Newton-Rex has reiterated that AI systems are “built on stolen work.” He has called the project a plea from authors to protect their livelihoods.
Signatories to the book are the who’s who of the world of literature. They include literary heavyweights such as Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, historical novelist Philippa Gregory and Jeanette Winterson, author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, and Alan Moore, author of Watchmen and V for Vendetta. The full list is available on the campaign’s website.
The message
The signatories contend that AI companies are building their products by copying millions of books without permission or payment. A statement on their official campaign site, dontstealthisbook.com, says: “The UK government must not legalise book theft to benefit AI companies. AI companies are building their products by copying millions of books without permission or payment.”
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“If they don’t, this is what we’ll be left with: empty pages, writers without pay, and readers deprived of the next book they’ll love,” the contributors say on the website.
The Society of Authors, one of the largest union for writers in the United Kingdom for writers, influencers and translators, has launched a Human Authored labelling scheme.
At the same time, The Society of Authors, one of the largest union for writers in the United Kingdom for writers, influencers and translators, has launched a Human Authored labelling scheme, under which members of the union can register works produced by humans post 2020. The work will be added to a database and those who register will be able to use a Human Authored logo in their work, which will ostensibly help it stand out in a sea of AI-generated books.
Seconding the authors’ plea, The Society of Authors wrote on their Instagram account, “We urge the government in the strongest possible terms to rule out legalising this large-scale theft.”
“And, to AI companies we say: stop stealing our books!” the union added.
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Matt Haig, author of the Midnight Library, who is not one of the signatories, supported the movement, commenting, “Meanwhile, the government is watering down the copyright law to appease US-tech comapanies. We need (Keir) Starmer to protect industries – our 5th largest export and the one least dependent on (Donald) Trump.”
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