In a move that could reshape the relationship between publishers, authors, and artificial intelligence, Bloomsbury Publishing has announced it is “exploring” licensing parts of its academic and professional backlist to tech companies for training generative AI models. The publisher is offering authors the opportunity to opt in, but the terms have ignited a firestorm of concern across the literary world.
The Proposal: Licensing for AI Training
Bloomsbury’s plan involves a bulk licensing deal where authors who opt in would receive 20% of net receipts attributable to each work included. Co-authors would split that share pro-rata, based on their contracts. The publisher would retain the remaining 80%.
A Bloomsbury spokesperson told The Bookseller,
“Authors who opt-in will receive royalties on income arising from any licensing arrangements which Bloomsbury may enter into… Licensing is an important means of protecting and enforcing copyright.”
Bloomsbury argues that licensing is the ethical alternative to unauthorized scraping of copyrighted works, a practice that has already led to lawsuits against major AI developers.
Author Uproar: “What Is the Publisher Doing for Their 80%?”
The Society of Authors (SoA) has been vocal in its criticism. CEO Anna Ganley told The Bookseller:
“AI training rights are new rights that are the author’s to license rather than the publisher’s… We do not believe that the proposed 20% share to the author represents fair remuneration. What is the publisher doing for their 80% share?”
The SoA also raised concerns about:
– Lack of clarity on revenue from future AI-generated outputs
– Redaction of third-party content
– Liability for misinformation and unauthorized use
– Attribution and derivative works
Ganley added,
“Any division of remuneration should reflect the work involved and the value of the rights granted… On the face of it, a 20% share of income from a one-off bulk deal does not sound fair and equitable.”
Industry Comparisons: HarperCollins and Academic Publishers
Bloomsbury’s offer stands in stark contrast to HarperCollins’ deal, which offered a 50:50 split and a $5,000 flat fee per book, split evenly between author and publisher. Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger praised HarperCollins for acknowledging that AI licensing rights belong to authors:
“HarperCollins agrees that the AI deal is a one-off and not setting a precedent for future agreements… Some authors may have 10 titles, so at $2,500 per book, you are talking about meaningful money.”
However, agents like Robert Gottlieb of Trident Media Group expressed skepticism:
“The majority of my authors are uneasy… It’s hard to imagine ever telling an author about a potential deal if we don’t know who the buyer is.”
Meanwhile, academic publishers like Oxford University Press and Wiley have already signed multi-million-pound deals with tech firms, often without offering opt-outs to authors. Oxford University Press stated:
“We are actively working with companies developing large language models to explore options for responsible development and usage… to champion the vital role that researchers have in an AI-enabled world.”
Voices from the Frontline: Authors Speak Out
Author Joanne Harris, a vocal advocate for creator rights, signed a joint statement with over 30,000 creatives rejecting unlicensed AI training:
“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works and must not be permitted.”
Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, chair of the SoA Management Committee, added:
“Without the licence or consent of the author, the use of copyright works by AI developers amounts to copyright infringement.”
The Road Ahead: Licensing or Litigation?
As AI continues to reshape the creative landscape, publishers are caught between technological innovation and ethical responsibility. Licensing may offer a legal path forward—but only if authors are fairly compensated and fully informed.
The Authors Guild summed it up best:
“Licensing that gives authors control over whether and how their works are used for AI training is part of a solution to AI companies’ ongoing, flagrant theft of books and journalism.”
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