#CopyOrRight: if a prompt and a click is all it takes, what's left of the author?

Why Are These Difficult Times for Copyright?

Artificial intelligence is gradually transforming our lives, often enhancing productivity. But when it comes to creativity, the situation is very different. Generative AI systems are being trained on protected works—without permission.

Recently, social media has seen the rise of the “Ghiblization” trend, where real images are turned into Studio Ghibli-style artwork using AI and simple text prompts. What may seem like a harmless “game” has instead sparked widespread fears and concerns—where is the line between inspiration and imitation when it comes to AI? And what happens to copyright if it’s not properly protected?

How Are Authors Protected Today?

At present, when it comes to AI, authors lack the tools to defend their work. There is no real transparency on how creative works are being used, and no regulations yet that recognize or safeguard the value of human creativity in the face of these rapidly evolving technologies.

Can Things Get Better?

Right now, the Italian Parliament is discussing a crucial piece of legislation that would regulate the operations of major tech companies powering AI systems. As SIAE, we have called for—and continue to call for—the inclusion of clear provisions in this law that would give our authors the right to prevent, in advance, the use of their creative content to train AI systems. We are also demanding full transparency on how these systems are trained.

What’s the Risk?

The risk is that the law, as currently drafted, could grant AI the same rights enjoyed by human authors and publishers—treating machine-generated content as equal to works born from human creativity.

There Is Hope—But It Needs Everyone’s Voice.

So, What Can You Do?

📢 Join the awareness campaign promoted by SIAE on copyright in the era of "generative" artificial intelligence.

Here’s how to participate:

💡 1. Copy the prompt below and go to ChatGPT (the free version works too):

"Turn my photo into an illustration in the style of classic Japanese animation, featuring soft colors, smooth lines, and a dreamy atmosphere. Add an overlay with a large red label that reads '#CopyOrRight', positioned to partially cover the face, symbolizing the concept of a non-original copy. The image should be clear, simple, and impactful, clearly conveying the message that the result is a copy, not an authentic work."

📷 2. Upload a photo of yourself with your face in the foreground, paste the prompt, and generate your image
✅ 3. Post the generated image on your social media, using the hashtag #CopyOrRight in your post and tagging SIAE

Why is SIAE launching this campaign?

• Generative AIs are trained on protected works without asking for permission
• Authors have no tools to defend their work
• Transparency is still too weak, and clear rules are needed to ensure real protection and fair recognition of human creativity

PRESS RELEASE
 

#CopyOrRight: if a prompt and a click are all it takes, what is left of the author?

Today 23rd April 2025, on World Book and Copyright Day and on the 143rd anniversary of its foundation, SIAE launches a communication campaign to raise awareness among policymakers involved in the upcoming AI legislation.

Is it fair for generative Artificial Intelligence—an immense resource to humanity—to become a threat to copyright, to the point of undermining the role of human creativity?

CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) has estimated a loss of €22 billion over the next five years for music and audiovisual creators.

The latest trend of “ghiblizing” photos has highlighted how blurred and unregulated the line between inspiration and copying by AI already is. Italian authors have already sensed this risk and voiced their concerns in the past months through a survey, in which they expressed deep anxiety about the impact of AI on their work and strongly urged SIAE to actively collaborate with the government to protect copyright.

In these very weeks—following initial approval by the Senate in March—the Italian Chamber of Deputies is debating a law draft proposed by the Government in 2024, which could finally introduce firm legal boundaries for the major tech players driving AI development.

SIAE has called for, and continues to advocate for, the inclusion in this legislation of a clear right for authors to prohibit, in advance, the use of their creative content to train AI systems. It also demands greater transparency regarding how these systems have been, and will be, trained.

Without a decisive shift in direction, the law risks treating AI-generated works as equal in every way to those created through human ingenuity.

On its 143rd anniversary and on World Book and Copyright Day, SIAE issues a strong call to action through a communication campaign aimed at urging lawmakers to take decisive steps in safeguarding copyright, one of the pillars of our cultural industry.

Salvatore Nastasi, President of SIAE, stated:
"We cannot allow human creativity to be sidelined by technologies that, in the absence of regulation, feed off the work of our authors. Behind every song, every film, every artistic work, there is a person, an emotion, a human intelligence. Creativity is not an algorithm—it is a unique and unrepeatable act that must be protected. Artificial Intelligence must not, and cannot, erase that. Authors have the right to be respected, heard, and protected. SIAE has always stood by them and now firmly calls on legislators to act—before it’s too late. The future of Italian culture is at stake."