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Tech firms should pay the creators whose work they use

Tech firms should pay creators for their work used in technology, says a letter to the Guardian. The proposed Smart Fund could raise up to £300m a year for UK creators.

By Barbara Hayes, Tayyiba Nasser, Christian Zimmermann, Paul Seheult·Oct 25·theguardian.com·1 min read

Intelligence analysis by Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Tech firms should pay the creators whose work they use
Image: theguardian.com

Tech firms should pay creators for their work used in technology, according to a letter to the Guardian. The proposed Smart Fund could raise up to £300m a year for UK creators.

Why it matters

This letter highlights the importance of compensating creators for their work used in technology, which could have significant economic implications for the UK.

Tech companies should pay people who make art and write stories for their work used in phones and computers. This could give them more money to keep making art and writing.

Analysis

Who are the creators and what work are they providing? The letter mentions visual artists, authors, and audiovisual performers. These creators contribute to the technology ecosystem by creating content that is used in devices such as smartphones and computers. What is the proposed Smart Fund? The Smart Fund is a proposal to require manufacturers and importers to make modest contributions on devices used to copy or store creative work. The fund aims to raise up to £300m a year and provide additional income for creators. Why is this important for the UK economy? The letter argues that the UK should introduce the Smart Fund to ensure that creators are compensated for their work used in technology. This could have significant economic implications, as creators on persistently low and falling incomes could benefit from these payments. What are the potential impacts of the Smart Fund? The Smart Fund could support skills, cultural programs, and affordable workspaces for creators. It could also make a tangible difference for creators on low and falling incomes, such as visual artists and authors.

Key points

  • Tech firms should pay creators for their work used in technology
  • The proposed Smart Fund could raise up to £300m a year for UK creators
  • The fund aims to support creators on low and falling incomes
The Upside

The Smart Fund could help creators who are struggling financially and provide them with more money to continue creating.

The Downside

There could be challenges in implementing the Smart Fund, such as ensuring that all manufacturers and importers comply with the contributions.

Originally reported at

theguardian.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagseconomytechcreatorstechnologyintellectual-property

Author

Barbara Hayes, Tayyiba Nasser, Christian Zimmermann, Paul Seheult

Intelligence analysis by

Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Published

Oct 25, 2026

Source

theguardian.com

Share

Topics

economytechcreatorstechnologyintellectual-property

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