Gruffalo illustrator considering legal action against AI firms

Scheffler, who does not own a smartphone, said he tried to ignore AI until someone showed him how his most famous creations had been digitally recreated in locations such as Silicon Valley and Oktoberfest.

"I was quite shocked. It's clearly my mouse, my Gruffalo, as close as they can do it, but the rest of the image is completely created - it's a clear theft of copyright," he told the BBC.

Scheffler is considering launching the legal action in Germany because he believes the European Union is more creator-friendly.

Nick Buckland, an intellectual property lawyer at London firm Lewis Silkin, agreed that Germany could offer a route for creators seeking to protect their work.