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Written question asked by Samantha Niblett (Labour) on Monday, 19 October 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 22 October 2026 (named day). It was answered by Ian Murray (Labour) on Friday, 23 October 2026 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Artificial Intelligence: Intellectual Property

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals, including a criminal offence, to address misappropriation of creative professionals' work and likeness by AI-generated personas on social media and subscription platforms; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the law of passing off in protecting creative professionals in such cases.

Answer

The Government supports UK creators and believes they should be paid fairly for their work. Where material is used without permission, existing copyright and passing off laws may apply, and creators are therefore encouraged to seek independent legal advice. In addition, since March 2025, the Online Safety Act (OSA) requires platforms to introduce proactive measures to protect users from user-generated fraud. The OSA lists fraud as a priority offence and regulates AI-generated media in the same way as ‘real’ content.

We know this is an area of concern to many creatives and are considering whether further action is needed, including through a consultation on digital replicas and a taskforce on labelling AI-generated content - both of which will launch by the end of the year.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
35986
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Intellectual property Entertainers Misrepresentation Artificial intelligence Social media
Legislation
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk