Global licensing network Merlin announced that members’ music can’t be used to train AI without authorisation
The global licensing network for independent labels and publishers, Merlin, published a statement outlining that none of its members’ music will be used to train AI without “explicit written authorisation.”
“It is Merlin’s position, and that of its members, that any and all uses of Merlin member repertoire for training, development or implementation of AI models and related purposes requires explicit written authorization from Merlin or the applicable Merlin member,” explained Merlin in an official statement on Monday.
It follows similar statements by Sony and Warner Music Group, earlier this year.
Of which were in response to the blanker AI Act, that regulates the use of AI. It includes a clause that allows copyright holders to decide whether they opt-out of having their content used to teach AI.
In their statement Sony had reached out to nearly 700 AI developers and streaming services, claiming that they had “reason to believe that you and/or your affiliates may already have made unauthorized uses” of Sony’s property.
In the same vein Warners letter stated that “all parties must obtain an express license from WMG to use… any creative works owned or controlled by WMG” to use as inputs for any AI or machine training purposes.
Merlin’s statement was focused on the argument of whether using copyrighted audio to train AI systems could be of “fair use”.
Which is a common defence for US AI developers. They argue that utilising any copyrighted music to train AI involves illegally replicating the work first.
Merlin also argued that AI that has been trained using copyrighted music “pose[s] a significant threat for Merlin artists’ copyrighted sound recordings by creating directly competitive digital music files.”
They outlined the potentially detrimental impact of generative AI on the music industry, although don’t dismiss the positive uses for the tool. Merlin said they’re “ready to partner with AI companies that want to be on the right side of history”
As the debate continues to evolve under the framework of regulations like the AI Act, it’s nice to see that the industry’s focus remains on safeguarding creativity while exploring ways to harness AI responsibly.
