Music Rights Owners Want Payment From AI Platforms
AI has been a heated topic of conversation in the music industry, with debates ranging from the creative possibilities of the new technology to concerns around its legality. Now, music companies are taking legal action against what they claim are Artificial Intelligence (AI) copyright violations.
The largest global record labels are coming together in suing two AI start-ups, Suno and Udio, over what they claim are copyright violation.
The music industry is joining a growing number of claims by copyright owners disputing the right of AI firms to use their work.
The labels allege that the AI music startups are exploiting recorded works of artists from Chuck Berry to Mariah Carey. Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Records and other firms say Suno and Udio have committed copyright infringement on an "almost unimaginable scale". In particular, they claim that Suno and Udio have produced works like Prancing Queen that even devoted ABBA fans would struggle to distinguish from an authentic recording from the band.
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One case has been filed in the federal court in Boston against Suno AI, and the other in New York against Uncharted Labs, the developer of Udio AI. The claim is that the companies software steals music to "spit out" similar work and ask for compensation of $150,000 (£118,200) per work. Suno and Udio have not Responded to Information Requests
The lawsuit by the Recording Industry Association of America, is one of a number of claim from authors, news organisations and other groups challenging the rights of AI firms to use their work.
- Suno released its first product last year and claims more than 10 million people have used its tool to make music. The firm, which works with Microsoft, charges a monthly fee for its service and recently announced it had raised $125m from investors.
- Udio, known as Uncharted Labs, is backed by high profile venture capital investors. It released its app to the public in April, achieving near-instant fame for being the tool used to create "BBL Drizzy", a parody track related to feud between the artists Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
AI firms argue that their use of the material is legal under the fair use doctrine, which allows copyrighted works to be used without a licence under certain conditions, such as for satire and news.
This argument compares machine learning by AI tools to the way people learn by reading, hearing and seeing previous works. But in the complaints, which were filed in federal court in Massachusetts and New York, the record labels say the AI firms are simply making money from having copied the songs.
AI is a pressing issue in the music industry. Earlier this year the US state of Tennessee was the first to pass legislation to protect songwriters, performers and other music industry professionals against the potential dangers of AI. The goal was to ensure that AI tools could not replicate an artist’s voice without consent.
To date, more than 200 artists signed an open letter submitted by the Artist Rights Alliance non-profit, calling on AI tech companies, developers, platforms, digital music services and platforms to stop using AI to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.
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Image: andy quezada
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