Rights

Audius’ new AI opt-in option allows artists to give others permission to upload AI-generated tracks based on their work. Audius sees its new offering as “an extension of the platform’s popular remix contests and other fan-artist music collaborations.” Now, artists can choose its “AI-Friendly” button on their settings page to create a separate AI-generated track section on the artists’ page, allowing fans to upload songs that were made by training on the artists’ work.

Source: Audius’ Opt-In Option Allows Some AI-Generated Tracks on Platform

The case presented by the Townsend estate is nakedly cynical and designed to play on fundamental misapprehensions about how songs are created. Much like math or writing, music is limitless in its possibilities but paradoxically required to repeat itself. The notion of copyrighting any chord progression, let alone one as common as the one used in “Let’s Get It On,” makes no more sense than copyrighting the numbers six and 13.

Source: Opinion | The Ed Sheeran lawsuit is a threat to Western civilization. Really.

Vancouver-born Grimes (real name Claire Boucher) just recently rolled out a beta for her artificial intelligence concept, which she first outlined on social media last month. 35-year-old Grimes in a series of tweets described the basics of the offering and the royalty-distribution plans for the songs at hand, relaying in part: “we ask for 50% splits on master recording royalties in exchange for a grimes feat and distribution. There’s a *small* chance we can organize getting you publishing $ as well but we can’t guarantee this yet.”

Source: Grimes AI Project Launches in Beta As Artificial Intelligence Booms

In a way that hasn’t been true since the early search-engine battles, the contents of the web are the subject of a contest over who owns what, as great powers attempt to carve up an irreplaceably rich source of information with a whole new kind of value. The tech and media companies that unwittingly provided this data are waking up to how essential it is to training the latest generation of language-based AIs.

Source: Chatbots Are Digesting the Internet. The Internet Wants to Get Paid.

A German stock photographer tried to get his photos removed from the AI-training LAION dataset. Lawyers replied that he owes $979 for making an unjustified copyright claim. The photographer, Robert Kneschke, found out in February that his photographs were being used to train AI through a site called Have I Been Trained? The dataset has been used by companies like Stability AI, which supported the dataset’s development, to train AI models that generate images.

Source: A Photographer Tried to Get His Photos Removed from an AI Dataset. He Got an Invoice Instead.

John Legend is calling attention to AI-generated songs saying there needs to be “some regulation” with how it works, and that artists should have control over how their voices are used. “I believe that our voices are our voices, and we should have control on how our voices are used out in the world,” Legend told Time senior correspondent Charlotte Alter who specifically asked about the recent AI-generated track “Heart On My Sleeve.”

Source: John Legend calls for regulation on AI-generated music

Sony Music’s lawsuit claimed that Triller had missed multiple agreed payments throughout 2022 for licensing the major’s music. In a filing with Manhattan federal court yesterday (April 26), Sony Music’s legal representative asked the court for a final judgment. The filing stated that Triller had “conceded liability” for the missing payments, and had “agreed that as of April 4, 2023, Triller is liable to Sony Music on Sony Music’s breach of contract claim for $4,574,250.”

Source: Triller to pay Sony Music $4.57m as video platform admits liability for breached licensing deal

Italy’s competition watchdog has taken interim measures against Facebook and Instagram parent, Meta, over its alleged abuse of position in the country in relation to music rights. The move is part of an investigation by the Italian Competition Authority or AGCM into Meta’s conduct in the market. AGCM believes that Meta may have unfairly disrupted negotiations for licensing the use of musical rights on its platforms, “abusing SIAE’s economic dependence.”

Source: Italy’s competition watchdog orders Meta to resume negotiations with collecting society SIAE

Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs is entitled to an injunction and damages from Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen over their copycat RR/BAYC NFT collection, a federal judge declared late Friday in a pre-trial summary judgement in a trademark infringement case filed by the startup last summer. Yuga Labs described the judgement as a “landmark legal victory for Web3.”

Source: Bored Ape Creator Yuga Labs Claims ‘Landmark Legal Victory’ Over Copycat NFTs – Decrypt

Canadian electro-pop artist Grimes tweeted on Monday that she’ll “split 50% royalties” with anyone who uses her voice on a “successful AI generated song.” The thirty-five-year-old artist referred to the royalty split as the “same deal as I would with any artist i collab with [sic]” and gave creators the license to use her voice “without penalty” since she has “no label and no legal bindings.”

Source: Grimes Offers 50% Royalties on AI-Generated Music Using Her Voice – Decrypt