Sony Music warns tech companies over ‘unauthorized’ use of its content to train AI

Sony Music Group has despatched letters to greater than 700 tech corporations and music streaming providers to warn them to not use its music to coach AI with out specific permission. The letter, which was obtained by Trendster, says Sony Music has “purpose to consider” that the recipients of the letter “could have already got made unauthorized makes use of” of its content material. 

Sony Music mentioned that whereas it acknowledges the “vital potential” of AI, “unauthorized use of SMG Content material within the coaching, improvement or commercialization of AI programs” deprives it and its artists of management and “applicable compensation.”

The corporate’s portfolio of artists consists of quite a few notable artists like Harry Kinds, Beyoncé, Adele and Celine Dion.

Sony Music is in search of to guard its mental property, which incorporates audio and audiovisual recordings, cowl paintings, metadata, lyrics and extra. The corporate has not disclosed which 700 corporations it’s sending the letter to.

“We assist artists and songwriters taking the lead in embracing new applied sciences in assist of their artwork,” Sony Music mentioned in a press release. “Evolutions in know-how have steadily shifted the course of artistic industries. AI will probably proceed that long-standing pattern. Nonetheless, that innovation should be sure that songwriters’ and recording artists’ rights, together with copyrights, are revered.”

The letter asks recipients to element which of Sony Music’s songs had been used to coach AI programs, how the songs had been accessed, what number of copies had been made and if any copies nonetheless exist, and why copies existed within the first place. 

Sony Music has given recipients of the letter a deadline to reply, noting that it’ll implement its copyright to the “fullest extent permitted by relevant legislation in all jurisdictions.”

The transfer comes as copyright infringement is turning into a major situation with the rise of generative AI, as streaming providers like Spotify are flooded with AI-generated music. Even artists are dabbling with AI, as Drake confronted criticism after deepfaking the late rapper Tupac earlier this month. 

Final month, California Democratic Consultant Adam Schiff launched new laws within the U.S. Home of Representatives that will, if handed, power AI corporations to reveal which copyrighted songs they used to coach AI.

In March, Tennessee grew to become the primary U.S. state to guard artists in opposition to AI after Governor Invoice Lee signed the Making certain Likeness Voice and Picture Safety (ELVIS) Act.