Elton John, a British pop star, called the UK government “absolute idiots” on Sunday over proposed copyright law changes that may grant exemptions to software companies. ” Rocket Man” celebrity John blasted the government for allegedly preparing to “rob young persons of their reputation and their money” in a burning meeting that was broadcast by the BBC. The changes, which he deemed” criminal,” would allow tech companies to freely use creators ‘ content unless the rights holders withdraw. However, John, 78, who has sold over 300 million data globally in his illustrious career, claimed that young artists lack the tools to “fight great tech” He claimed that while he was not opposed to artificial intelligence ( AI), a line should be drawn between creativity and music. The Data ( Use and Access ) Bill passed by the government is currently in the legislature. The parliament’s lower house supported a change that would require copyright holders to provide permission to use their work and, in turn, to check what elements had been taken, by whom, and when. However, on Wednesday, MPs in the Labour government’s upper house, who had a vehement lot, rejected the changes. According to John, if the government’s prepared shifts to copyright laws were implemented, they may be” committing fraud, larceny on a high level,” according to John on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuensberg program. The state is “absolutely losing,” John said, blaming Technology Secretary Peter Kyle as a “bit of a fool.” Prior to claiming that the tech represented” a great opportunity,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently said the government needed to “get the equilibrium right” between copyright and AI. They “have no right to sell us down the river,” John continued, urging Starmer to “wise up” and” view impression.” Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, and Damon Albarn, among others, released a passive record in February in opposition of the proposed changes, saying they would make music fraud legal. In a text to The Times newspaper earlier this month, artists and musicians like John and Bush also wrote in opposition to the ideas as a “wholesale freebie” to Silicon Valley. Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Sting, Kazuo Ishiguro, Michael Morpurgo, and Helen Fielding were the other participants. According to a spokesperson for the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology, the bill’s focus was on “unlocking the secure and effective use of information for the common interest,” which will increase the market by an estimated £10 billion over the course of the next ten years.
