Teosto, the copyright society for composers, lyricists, arrangers and music publishers in Finland, has unveiled new guidelines for registering music created with the help of artificial intelligence. These guidelines are based on shared principles developed with other Nordic countries and the responsible AI principles that Teosto signed last year.The aim of the guidelines is to provide Teosto's 40,000 music creators with clear instructions for situations where AI has been part of the music creation process.
They outline the conditions under which music can be registered in Teosto’s works register and how royalties can be paid for music produced with AI assistance.
Last year, Teosto committed to international principles of responsible AI, joined by hundreds of organizations worldwide. These principles emphasize that copyright protection primarily rewards human creativity.
Teosto's new guidelines assert that only the results of human creative work can receive copyright protection under the law. Therefore, compositions or lyrics entirely created by AI cannot be registered as new protected works in Teosto's register. However, Teosto recognizes that many music creators already use AI as part of their creative process. According to a survey conducted by Teosto last year, about one-third of music creators have used AI in some capacity.
If AI is used as a technical aid in the creative process, the resulting music can be registered with Teosto entirely under the creator's name. Registration requires that the individuals involved in creating the work have made significant contributions. The creator is responsible for ensuring that the work contains enough of their own free and creative choices.
The person making the work declaration is also responsible for ensuring that the work does not infringe on any third-party rights. Teosto advises its clients to carefully review the terms of the services they use, as some services may claim rights to works created through their platforms. It is currently challenging for users to know whether AI services have used copyright-protected works by other creators as training material.
Music pieces can also be registered in Teosto’s works register if a single part (such as the composition or lyrics) is entirely generated by AI. However, the AI-generated part cannot be protected as a new component of the work and is registered as a public domain share. The AI-generated portion cannot be published, translated, or adapted.
Teosto's board discussed the new registration practices in their meeting on June 12, 2024.
The guidelines align with registration principles jointly approved with Nordic copyright organizations STIM (Sweden), Koda (Denmark), Tono (Norway), and Stef (Iceland). These principles represent the first step towards a unified approach to AI music. Teosto’s Nordic partners have also published similar guidelines.
The Nordic countries have collectively advanced this issue within CISAC, the global confederation of copyright societies, to develop more consistent practices.
"Creative work and the use of digital platforms do not adhere to national borders. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have international rules for AI-related music as soon as possible," says Jenni Kyntölä, Teosto's Legal Affairs Director.
For more information, visit Teosto’s website.
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