Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s largest music rights holder, has called on the US Congress to enact laws protecting creators and other rights holders against copyright infringement by AI developers and users.
At a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on intellectual property on Wednesday (July 12), Jeffrey Harleston, General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Business and Legal Affairs at UMG, laid out three specific laws UMG would like to see enacted.
They include: A nationwide right of publicity law; the ability of copyright owners to see what has gone into the training of AI models; and the labeling of AI-generated content.
“Right of publicity” refers to an intellectual property right that protects against the unauthorized use of a person’s likeness, voice or other aspects of their identity.
The concept has become a hot topic now that AI apps have given users the ability to create music that convincingly imitates an artist’s music or vocals – as witnessed earlier this year with the viral “fake Drake” track. Both artists who were imitated on that song – Drake and The Weeknd – are signed to UMG labels.
“Deep fakes and or unauthorized recordings or visuals of artists generated by AI can lead to consumer confusion, unfair competition against the artist that actually was the original creator, market dilution and damage to the artist’s reputation, potentially irreparably harming their career,” Harleston told the senators on the subcommittee.
“An artist’s voice is often the most valuable part of their livelihood and public persona, and to steal it, no matter the means, is wrong.”
