The BSA Software Alliance, among the heavy hitting tech industry associations in Washington, counts a number of major AI companies among its members, including Adobe and Microsoft. But this week it plans to release a policy statement urging Congress to “take steps” to protect artists from the spread of unauthorized, AI-generated deepfakes. The statement, provided to RightsTech in advance of release, lists eight key principles, including creating a new right for artists to authorize or prevent the commercial dissemination of digital replicas of their name, image, likeness or voice, and prohibiting the commercial trafficking in any algorithm, software, technology or service that has the “primary purpose” of creating or disseminating such replica “knowing that this act was unauthorized.”
While AI can produce generic music, many critics argue that it lacks the originality of human-created works. Merlin Connect seeks to address this by providing emerging tech platforms with access to a vast library of “high-quality” music from independent artists, the organization said Wednesday (June 5).
Composers and songwriters are looking to receive an additional $8 million (£6 million) in royalties from online services each year from PRS for Music. CEO Andrea Czapary Martin announced a 20% reduction in the administration rate from multi-territory online (MTOL) royalties’ collection — the result of the collective management organization surpassing its targets and delivering historic distributions and revenues.
