Paul Sanders

The state51 Music Group - Few would dare.

[The state51 Conspiracy @state51]

16 years ago we bought this Citroen 2CV and drove it to the south of France for a music conference in Cannes. It got a rusty in our yard and the foxes moved in through the hole in the roof. Well... it brings us great joy to report that the 2CV rides again!

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

Using AI trained on the amazing human achievements of recorded music to displace musicians from music making seems utterly depraved. Difficult as it is we need to ask music platforms to show and respect humanity in creation and production, and allow us to express preferences.

[Oxford Internet Institute @oiioxford]

“The dirty secret of AI is that it still runs on human labour,” @geoplace @oiioxford @TowardsFairWork speaking to @matthfield @Telegraph.

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

No AI company is going to advance medical science or ecological sustainability by ripping off musicians. @arthurmensch should be honest about that, and up front that his suggestion is a transfer of wealth and patronage power to politicians if they will get creatives off his back.

[Financial Times @FT]

Mistral CEO: AI companies should pay a content levy in Europe https://t.co/YHtOc6Xemm | opinion

[The state51 Conspiracy @state51]

It's been a huge privilege for us to work with Madness and their team.

We're delighted they made the top ten this week with Hit Parade straight in at no. 8

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

Copyright is a property right given to people so that they can transact on fair terms with corporations. It’s also one of the foundational rights in the UDHR. Big tech epitomises corporate and global capital power. All the weakness of digital rights lobbying is displayed here.

[Danny O'Brien🤖 @mala]

Trying to fight big tech by making copyright stronger is like fighting viruses with gain-of-function research: https://t.co/WuZfbQ4Sl9

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

Earlier this year I took a look at independence in music, and why it might not be so great if exits do get stymied by a community that relies on external funding to provide essential infrastructure and capability:

https://t.co/HdkAEGyHuS

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

Trying to stop VC and PE owned businesses being sold seems hopeful - the exit is the purpose of the business. In fact, it's something to celebrate - a music investment is nominated for the 'Exit of the Year' award at the @GPBullhound Allstars awards https://t.co/RFOTROCZV8

[Todd Spence @Todd_Spence]

John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd as the “Surf Police” arresting Brian Wilson because he's not surfing enough.
From the 1976 NBC special “The Beach Boys: It’s OK”
So good.

[Andrew Orlowski @AndrewOrlowski]

The Huddersfield Baptist on fire in 1961 (addressing the Commons as Shadow Chancellor)

[Placido Domingo @PlacidoDomingo]

🎶✨ What an incredible journey it has been! I had the great honor of serving as Head of the Jury for the Grand Final of Virtuosos— a celebration of young classical talent from around the world. The level of artistry, passion, and dedication these young musicians showed was truly inspiring. And we have also prepared a special song for you with my fellow jury members: José Carreras, HAUSER and Dimash! We’ll be singing “My Way”.

🎻🌍 From breathtaking performances to emotional moments, this finale is one you won’t want to miss. Join me in supporting the next generation of classical stars!

📺 Watch the full final here: https://t.co/m5MmSjYgA5 @PlacidoDomingo @VirtuososTalent

[The state51 Conspiracy @state51]

See you at the @IndieLabelMkt, where we'll have an array of label and distro titles and some exclusive state51 Atelier records from @claramannsongs @laurarecorder @theQuietus Singularity Series and Voka Gentle, plus screen-printed shopper bags.

[The state51 Conspiracy @state51]

We're delighted to have been shortlisted for a Creative Review Award for excellence in packaging design.

https://t.co/ljeTITnVHI

Find out more below:

https://t.co/PJC6X18kDF

@CreativeReview

[The state51 Conspiracy @state51]

We’re delighted to be distributing Madness’s RSD exclusive - Take Cover!

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

As an industry we need to articulate our strengths much better. We know how to regenerate, and create new growth. We export. We attract world class talent. Our copyright management expertise is second to none. Shame for our government to take an axe to our knees in this way!

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

This is probably disingenuous, and definitely absurd. If copyright owners can easy opt out, they can just as easily opt in, without needing their assets to be strip-mined from underneath them by some of the biggest and richest companies in the world.

[Jakob Mökander @jakobmokander]

How should UK copyright law apply to AI model training? The text and data mining (TDM) exception with opt-out for rights holders proposed by the government offers a balanced, workable approach
https://t.co/RvHs8ad7NO

The application of UKcopyright law to AI training remains contested, causing uncertainty for artists, rights holders, AI developers and society at large. Bold, pragmatic solutions are thus needed to provide legal clarity, support the creatives and unlock investments

Unfortunately, the debate around AI & copyright is too often framed as a zero-sum game. This misrepresents both the challenge and opportunity before us. The real question is not whether AI will transform the creative industries (it already is) but how to make this transition beneficial for all stakeholders

A new report by the @InstituteGC argues that the UK can and should be home to both flourishing creative industries and cutting-edge AI development. The report also provides a holistic and detailed policy framework to achieve that end

The UK government’s proposal for a TDM exception with opt-out is a good starting point, but will require careful implementation to be effective in practice. Moreover, it is only part of the puzzle. To make the UK a leader in arts and AI, the government should also:

🌍 Strengthen international AI preference standards for rightsholders, to ensure that the opt-out mechanism is robust

🪟 Improve transparency across AI supply chains, incl. reasonable disclosures from AI developers about training data

👫 Establish standards for AI & creativity, incl. guidelines on how to distinguish between human and AI-generated works

💸 Increased support to creatives in the AI age, incl. more dedicated funding and the founding of a new Centre for AI & Creative Industries

Why does our analysis support this policy option over alternatives like 'do nothing' 'strengthening copyright' or 'a broad TDM exception'?

1) It's important to separate AI outputs from model training. While AI outputs should not be allowed to reproduce unlicensed copyrighted works, prohibiting AI model training on publicly available data would be misguided

2) Rights holders should have control of their data, hence the opt-out. But there are better ways to support creators than strict copyright laws, incl. support to hone skills, access resources and develop new business models

3) A whole-of-government approach is needed to deliver the AI Opportunities Action Plan. Restrictive copyright laws could push AI development out of the UK, undermining the Gov’s growth agenda

4) Stricter UK copyright laws would not prevent online data from being used to train AI elsewhere. Closing that loophole through extraterritorial enforcement could lead to AI tools not being accessible in the UK

5) Far from heralding the end of human creativity, AI presents new ways of being original. We should enable and celebrate all forms of expression

Credit to the author team: @ZandermannKL, @josephcbradley, @AmandaBrockUK & @MickGrierson – plus @FERNANDOGARIBAY for foreword!

Huge thanks also to all experts who provided comments on drafts (input ≠ endorsement) incl. @whoisgallifrey, @LeeTiedrich, @philiptorr, @lilianedwards, @Prorata_ai, @natejhake, @UKAIofficial, @KR21org, @ChrisMammenIP – and many others

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

As citizens we are entitled to ask our lawmakers, 'for whom do you speak?' Music has made a strong contribution to our economy, and to our culture and identity for many decades. It has not required bailouts or subsidies, unlike so many government pet projects.

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

This is a point that could be made more often and more forcefully. Songs do not help AI solve any problem other than how to make new songs without paying songwriters. A pump primed with theft will pump more theft, not pure drinking water for those without.

[Matt Rogerson @MattRogerson]

Alphafold wasn't built with the beach boys, or the contents of BBC iPlayer, it was made using the protein data bank. An asset funded by billions of dollars in public funding, curated by many thousands of human beings. Discoveries like this are not about broad copyright exceptions

[Paul Sanders @ratpie]

We expect governments to make sure we can trade our work fairly in open and well regulated markets. We do not expect government to side with global capital in its attempts to expropriate and alienate us from our creative work. I hope this deal is not yet done.

[Ed Newton-Rex @ednewtonrex]

This speech by @JamesFrith in parliament yesterday is what it looks like to stand up for the creative industries. I hope the rest of the @UKLabour party takes note.

"Proposals for new, broad exceptions to copyright—and the burden of opting out of having one’s life’s work taken without permission—undermine the very principles of copyright and of trade and
commerce."

Strongly encourage watching the whole thing.

[The state51 Conspiracy @state51]

Merry Christmas!

Thanks to all the labels, artists and musicians who make what we do possible, and all of the shops, music services and music fans too.

Have a great Christmas and a happy new year.

🎄🎄🎄

[The state51 Conspiracy @state51]

Daniel is a verrrrrry dear and old friend of state51 - if you’ve been following his incredible career to date, you should keep your eyes peeled