Press release of May 12, 2025
Download press release from 12.5. (PDF)
Creators for Europe United marks a milestone:
10,000 votes for the protection of creative works in Europe
The initiative Creators for Europe United sends out a powerful message:
Within just a few days, over 10,000 people have signed the open letter to Henna Virkkunen in favour of better protection of creators’ rights in Europe – and the number is growing by the minute.
This impressive milestone highlights the urgent need for fair conditions for creators in the digital age.
Since the start of the campaign on the World Intellectual Property Day on https://creators-for-europeunited.eu, the movement has been growing steadily.
Creators from all disciplines – from literature, film and journalism, music, theatre and architecture to design, photography and the visual arts – are uniting their voices with those of representatives of the cultural, creative and media industries such as publishing houses and production companies. Over 100 European associations are among the supporters. They call for clear rules and protection mechanisms for dealing with artificial intelligence and digital technologies.
‘Our ideas, voices, images, songs and stories are the heart of Europe. Without our creativity, AI systems would be empty and meaningless,’ a spokesperson from Creators for Europe United explains. ‘It is high time that our contribution is recognised and respected. 10,000 voices – that’s a powerful chorus for the future of creativity!’ Especially with the current implementation of the AI Act, the concerns and demands of Europe’s cultural, creative and media industries are not being given sufficient consideration. If this does not change, the third-largest economic force in the European Union will be acutely threatened. The main beneficiaries will be non-European Tech companies that can continue to exploit European works.
Creators for Europe United continues to invite all creators and supporters to sign the open letter and stand up for transparency, fair remuneration and the protection of intellectual property.
Further information and signing the open letter:
About Creators for Europe United:
Creators for Europe United is a Europe-wide alliance of creators committed to European values and diversity, the protection of intellectual property and fair conditions in the digital world.
The initiative is currently campaigning for clear legal regulations in dealing with AI and digital platforms in order to preserve Europe’s cultural diversity and the values of this continent.
Berlin/Brussels, 12 May 2025
Press release of April 25, 2025
Download Pressemitteilung vom 25.4. (PDF)
Appeal to the European Commission on the occasion of UNESCO World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2025
The European Cultural and Creative Sectors call for European values and works to be protected
#openletterCFEunited / Open letter to EU-Commissioner Virkkunen makes specific requests for the protection of Europe’s works and values / Petition against exploitation by AI / Transparency, remuneration and enforcement should become central focus for European Commission
Creators for Europe United are asking Henna Virkkunen, Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy for stronger protection of European values and creative works.
The signatories call for an equitable framework in line with intellectual property for the deployment of AI in the spirit of fostering – not thwarting – innovation. They declare that Europe’s creative soul must not become an expendable resource. The European Commission must develop regulatory guardrails to prevent millions of creative works from being used i.a. to train artificial intelligence without permission from or fair remuneration for creators, performers and rightsholders as a matter of urgency.
They point out that artificial intelligence needs creative works to be able to function at all. But in the present situation, it is the developers of the models who profit, whilst creators and rightsholders have de facto been expropriated. The open letter of the Creators for Europe United initiative to Virkkunen goes on to state: “AI can be a driver of progress – but only if it is built on solid legal and ethical foundations. If Europe loses its creatives, it will not only lose its cultural identity but also one of its strongest economic sectors. To sacrifice this potential means to jeopardise Europe’s future.”
The demands of the European Cultural and Creative Sectors
In their letter to the Commission Executive Vice-President, the creative sectors list specific measures necessary to stop the continuing abuse of their works:
- Full transparency about all works, contributions and performances that have been and will be used for training generative AI models and other purposes.
- Adequate remuneration for the use of our works.
- Consistent enforcement of applicable copyright laws – including against global Tech companies.
- Involvement of the culture, creative and media industries in all regulatory processes of AI governance.
The open letter from Creators for Europe United can be downloaded here http://www.creators-for-europe-united.eu can be signed here.
About Creators for Europe United
Creators for Europe United advocates for the views of the creative sectors to be considered in policy-making. The initiative unites stakeholders from literature, music, film, design, news media, architecture, and other creative and cultural sectors.
Berlin/Frankfurt am Main, April 25, 2025