At the intersection of technological innovation and creative protection, Tony Johnson helped guide one of the UK’s most vital yet often unseen organisations through its most transformative period. As Interim CEO of the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), Johnson led an operation that has channelled over £1.5 billion to more than 200,000 authors, publishers and visual artists over four decades, whilst facilitating lawful content access for 12.7 million students and 9.5 million employees across the nation.
Now, as generative AI reshapes how organisations create, access and deploy content, Johnson’s unique blend of commercial technology leadership and not-for-profit mission is proving invaluable. With a distinguished career including senior technology roles at 20th Century Fox, where he led digital transformation across international markets, he brings rare insight into how established frameworks can evolve to meet emerging challenges without compromising their foundational principles.
Your journey from Senior Vice President of International IT at 20th Century Fox to Interim CEO at CLA is a significant transition from commercial media to the regulated not-for-profit sector. What drew you to CLA in 2021, and how has your technology background shaped your approach to leading an organisation that has distributed over £1.5 billion to creators over four decades?
“Throughout my career, I have been very fortunate to work for some amazing organisations.
“When I was approached about the role at CLA, it was at a time when my career priorities and motivations had started to shift, and I wanted to give something back in a more direct and meaningful way. The opportunity to continue working in the creative sector, but in a not-for-profit capacity with a focus on providing direct and tangible support to creators and rightsholders, was too good to turn down.
“I firmly believe that all organisations are increasingly driven and enabled by the effective deployment of technology, a trend that has only accelerated with the widespread development and adoption of Generative AI tools in recent years. In that regard, CLA is no different, and my background of successfully delivering both internal and customer facing technologies has been valuable in helping the organisation navigate and respond to a period of significant change.
“Ultimately, CLA’s mission is timeless, but the world around it is constantly evolving. My role has been to help the organisation stay ahead of that change, so we continue to deliver value to rightsholders and customers in a way that is trusted, sustainable and future-facing.”
CLA recently announced the development of a Generative AI Training Licence, launching in 2026. Given that your research shows 82% of UK professionals already use third-party content in generative AI prompts, what opportunities does this licence create for both rights holders and organisations seeking to deploy AI responsibly?
“CLA’s upcoming generative AI training licence solutions is a huge step forward in making sure responsible AI development and adoption is possible at scale.
“As you mentioned, our research showed that UK professionals are using published content in prompting AI tools and that is exactly why we introduced Workplace Generative AI permissions into our core licences last year, to give organisations clarity and confidence in those day-to-day uses.
“This year we’re going further, and our new licensing solution will give organisations a clear, lawful route to train and develop AI systems with access to the published content needed for this activity.
“For business, it means peace of mind and operational efficiency through access to a wide range of opted-in written content through a single, trusted framework, rather than having to negotiate multiple permissions individually.
“And for authors and publishers, it opens up a larger market than one-to-one deals can realistically reach, while providing greater control, transparency, and continued remuneration in the age of AI.”
The relationship between copyright and artificial intelligence has become one of the most debated topics in the creative industries. How do you view copyright as an enabler rather than an obstacle to technological advancement, particularly when ensuring that the 200,000 authors, publishers and visual artists you represent receive fair compensation?
“I have always seen copyright as an enabler of innovation rather than a barrier, because it creates the perfect conditions for trust, innovation and long-term progress.
“The only way copyright feels like an obstacle is if you assume creative work is free to use, and that simply would not be accepted by any other sector. We don’t expect businesses to take products, services, or data without permission or payment, so why should human creativity or intellectual property be treated any differently?
“Copyright isn’t there to slow progress down, it’s what makes innovation sustainable. It provides the guardrails that protect the value of original content, giving organisations clarity, and allowing innovation to move forward confidently rather than operating in a legal grey area.
“And we’ve been here before. CLA was founded because technology made copying scalable overnight. AI is just the next step in that same cycle, but the principle hasn’t changed. Our role at CLA is to make this straightforward. Through licensing, organisations can innovate efficiently and responsibly, with proper remuneration for rightsholders built in.”
CLA has established over 40 international agreements and through its repertoire of more than 16 million publications, CLA facilitates the reuse of content for 12.7 million students and 9.5 million employees. As generative AI transforms how content is accessed and utilised, how are you adapting these licensing frameworks to meet the evolving needs of your 40,000 licensed organisations whilst protecting creators’ rights?
“We’re all aware that AI is re-shaping how organisations access and use content, and we’re already seeing business update strategies to embed it into everyday workflows.
“CLA’s role is to keep pace with that change, making sure that licensing remains practical, scalable, and future-proof, without losing sight of the people who create the content in the first place.
“As you mentioned, our repertoire includes over 16 million publications through our Member organisations, as well as extensive international agreements, facilitating vital content reuse by millions of employees and students across the UK.
“As generative AI changes how content is accessed and utilised, we’re evolving our licensing frameworks to stay practical and relevant, giving organisations clearer permissions and simpler routes to compliance, so that they can adopt new tools with confidence.
“Ultimately, the goal is balance: enabling lawful reuse at scale, while protecting the creators and rightsholders.”
How do you communicate the importance of quality content to technology companies and organisations building Generative AI systems, and what role does proper licensing play in ensuring access to this calibre of material?
“The reality is that technology companies already understand the critical importance of good data when it comes to building robust, reliable AI solutions.
“Published content is well-researched, fact-checked, curated, and constantly refreshed. AI systems simply don’t perform well without that kind of reliable input, and outputs are only ever as good as the data they’re trained on. Without quality content, the risks increase with the potential for unreliable or incorrect outputs damaging reputations and eroding public trust.
“That’s where licensing plays a critical role in making the Generative AI ecosystem sustainable. It ensures that creators and rightsholders are fairly remunerated, with transparency and appropriate control over how their work is being used. At the same time, it gives organisations a clear and lawful route to access the calibre of content that AI needs.
“Basically, it turns a high-risk, messy environment into something organisations can build on with confidence.”
Taking on the role of Interim CEO in July 2025 during a period of significant change requires both strategic vision and operational expertise. What challenges have you encountered in balancing the need to innovate in response to AI developments whilst maintaining CLA’s core mission of supporting the UK’s creative economy?
“At its heart, CLA’s core mission remains to support our customers to legally access, copy and share the published content that they need while also ensuring that copyright owners are fairly remunerated for the use of their work. The advent of generative AI has only re-enforced the importance, and ongoing relevance, of that mission.
“CLA is committed to evolving in response to the changes happening all around us. We are developing new and innovative products and services that meet emerging AI use cases, while remaining very mindful of the need to retain focus on the core licensing services that we have delivered so successfully for more than 40 years.
“Ultimately, it’s about doing both well. That means innovating with pace, but always in partnership, and always grounded in CLA’s role as a trusted intermediary. That combination, innovation with stability, is what will keep CLA effective and relevant in the long term.”
The UK creative industries contribute significantly to the national economy. Through CLA’s work with member organisations including ALCS, PLS, DACS and PICSEL, what tangible impact have you seen on creators’ livelihoods, and how does this motivate your strategic decisions?
“One of the most tangible impacts of CLA’s work is that it delivers real income back to creators and rightsholders, and when we talk about protecting creativity and enabling responsible innovation, we’re not talking about an aspiration. We’re talking about something we’ve delivered for over 40 years.
“We’re a not-for-profit organisation, recognised by the UK Government, and everything we do is designed to return value to the people who create. To date, we’ve distributed more than £1.5 billion back to authors, publishers and visual artists through our Member organisations. That’s money flowing back into the UK creative economy, helping sustain careers, fund new work, and protect the long-term value of creative industries. I am constantly heartened and motivated by the very personal stories recounted to me from my counterparts at our Member organisations, of how the revenues that they receive from CLA are critical to enabling authors and visual artists to continue on their chosen paths.
“And we don’t take the trust placed in us by the creative industries lightly. It’s a responsibility that shapes our strategic direction and the decisions we make every day. Our focus is always the same – making the lawful reuse of content possible and ensuring that the creative industries continue to be recognised and rewarded as technology transforms the landscape.”
Moving from the fast-paced commercial environment of international media distribution to leading a regulated not-for-profit organisation requires different leadership capabilities. What qualities have proven most valuable in building stakeholder trust across diverse groups, from individual creators and major publishers to educational institutions and corporate licenses?
“Unquestionably, there are significant differences in terms of scale, dynamics and organisational culture, between CLA and my previous workplace experiences. Having said that, the core leadership skills that have been central to my career remain just as relevant today. My ability to build trusting, collaborative relationships across a diverse, and sometimes demanding stakeholder landscape, whilst demonstrating a high level of emotional intelligence and retaining a focus on mutually successful outcomes, is as integral to my approach today as it ever has been.
“Ultimately, listening carefully, communicating clearly, and delivering on commitments are what build credibility, whatever the sector.”
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, how do you envision CLA’s role evolving as artificial intelligence becomes further embedded in how organisations create, access and utilise content? What opportunities exist for other business leaders to contribute to developing sustainable frameworks that support both technological innovation and creative enterprise?
“I see CLA’s role becoming even more important as AI becomes ever more embedded in everyday business decisions.
“Organisations want to move quickly, but they also need clarity and guardrails, and the market needs sustainable frameworks that support innovations without undermining the creative industries it depends on. That’s where collective licensing can play a powerful role, by creating a practical route to compliance and ensuring fair return to rightsholders.
“Business leaders have an important part to play, by prioritising responsible development and implementation, asking the right questions around data and permissions, and supporting models that prioritise transparency.
“If we can get the balance right, we have the potential to unlock huge economic opportunity whilst protecting and promoting the creative work that makes it possible.”