Sir Elton John has criticized the UK government, labeling them as “absolute losers” over its proposals that would allow tech companies to use copyright-protected material without permission. The legendary songwriter called it a “criminal offence” to amend copyright law in favor of artificial intelligence firms. In an interview with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, John argued that the government was set to “rob young people of their legacy and their income, ” adding: “It’s a criminal offence, I think. The government are just being absolute losers, and I’m very angry about it. ” John also referred to the technology secretary, Peter Kyle, as a “bit of a moron” and threatened to take ministers to court if the government did not reverse its copyright plans.

Recently, Kyle faced accusations of being too close to big tech companies, following reports showing a significant rise in meetings between his department and firms like Google, Amazon, Apple, and Meta since Labour’s election victory. John’s remarks came before a House of Lords vote on a proposal from crossbench peer Beeban Kidron, which would require AI companies to disclose their use of copyright-protected content, thereby enabling creative professionals to seek licensing agreements for their material. He pointed to a similar amendment that had received broad support in the House of Lords last week but was subsequently removed by the government in the Commons, setting the stage for a tit-for-tat battle that risks bogging down the data bill—the vehicle for the Lords’ objections to the government’s copyright proposals—in ongoing legislative disputes between the two Houses of Parliament. “It’s criminal, because I feel incredibly betrayed: the House of Lords voted, and by more than two to one in our favor, yet the government seemed to dismiss it as if saying, ‘Hmmm, well the old people like me can afford it, ’” John said. The government is currently consulting on a proposal that would permit AI firms to train their models—technology behind products like chatbots—using copyrighted works without permission, unless the copyright owner explicitly opts out. A source close to Kyle indicated that this is no longer the preferred option in the consultation, although it remains under consideration. Other options include maintaining the status quo; requiring AI companies to acquire licenses for copyrighted materials; or allowing AI firms to use copyrighted content with no opt-out available for creators. A government spokesperson emphasized that no copyright changes would be made unless they are “completely satisfied they work for creators. ” The spokesperson added that a recent government pledge to prepare an economic impact assessment of the proposals would examine “the broad range of issues and options on all sides of the debate. ”