Frankfurt Book Fair opens with call to regulate AI
Germany’s book industry calls for fair licences and stronger copyright enforcement in AI training.
The Frankfurt Book Fair opened on Wednesday with a call from Germany’s book industry for better regulation of the use of artificial intelligence. According to Deutschlandfunk, 120 publishers had signed the so-called Frankfurt Appeal.
The appeal comes from the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels and is addressed to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the German government. The initiators are calling for licensing models that allow rights holders to grant permission for the use of their works and receive payment for it.
According to the organisers, AI companies use copyright-protected texts to train systems without creators always giving permission or receiving payment. They also argue that rights holders themselves spend considerable time and money demonstrating the possible use of their work.
The allegations are part of a broader European debate about copyright and generative AI. Not every form of AI training is legally the same, and the precise responsibility of companies varies by country, contract and application. The book industry’s appeal is therefore a political position, not a judicial finding that every use for training purposes is unlawful.
Artificial intelligence features prominently in this year’s fair programme. The organisation has announced sessions on AI in academic publishing, AI in culture, the visibility of books in AI search engines and the use of AI in publishing processes.
The 78th edition of the fair runs from 7 to 11 October. Alongside publishers and authors, representatives from film, television series, games, science and technology will also gather. The fair is therefore not only a public event, but also a commercial and consultation forum for the international publishing sector.
The debate is relevant to Dutch creators because many AI systems operate across borders. A regulation developed in Brussels could affect how texts are licensed, how publishers manage their archives and what information about training data must be made public.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Germany’s book industry has published an appeal for AI regulation.
- The appeal calls for licensing and copyright enforcement.
- AI is an important subject in the fair programme.
- The legal status of use for training purposes varies from case to case.
Left
Arguments Authors and publishers must retain control and receive fair payment when their work is used to train commercial AI systems. Without rules, large technology companies may extract value from culture without paying the creators.
Values Employment rights, cultural diversity and protection of creators.
Consequences Stricter rules could improve creators’ income and bargaining power, but might also make AI research and affordable tools more expensive.
Centre
Arguments There is a need for transparent licences, collective agreements and a workable way to monitor training data. An institutional solution should allow innovation without leaving creators’ rights unprotected.
Values Legal certainty, practicality and balance between innovation and protection.
Consequences A harmonised system could reduce conflicts, but requires European cooperation and technical standards that take time.
Right
Arguments Overly onerous obligations could put European AI companies at a disadvantage and undermine existing copyright exceptions. Rights holders must be protected, but rules should not block innovation and market access.
Values Competitiveness, entrepreneurship and restrained regulation.
Consequences Lighter rules could speed up development, but might leave creators with little bargaining power gegenüber large technology companies.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The opening, the appeal and the fair programme have been confirmed by public sources. The text distinguishes between industry claims about AI training and legally established facts.
- confirmed The Frankfurt Book Fair runs from 7 to 11 October 2026. — Stated in the official fair programme. source
- confirmed The appeal had been signed by 120 publishers. — Deutschlandfunk cites a spokesperson for the fair or industry organisation. source
- confirmed The appeal calls for licensing models and stronger copyright enforcement. — Described in Deutschlandfunk’s reporting. source
- confirmed AI is central to several parts of the fair programme. — The official programme announcement mentions several AI sessions. source
Editor's note
The signing of the appeal and the number of publishers come from Deutschlandfunk. The legal classification of AI training varies by situation; the allegation has therefore been attributed to the initiators.Sources
- Frankfurter Appell fordert Regulierung von Künstlicher Intelligenz — Deutschlandfunk
- KI, Rechtehandel und die Zukunft der Branche — Frankfurter Buchmesse
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „frankfurter buchmesse”
- NU.nl — „frankfurter buchmesse”
- De Telegraaf — „frankfurter buchmesse”