How ASCAP Is Helping Music Creators Navigate AI

Key Principles & Position

• Humans First: ASCAP prioritizes human creators in the evolving AI landscape.
• ASCAP has a history of protecting its members through technological disruptions and continues to do so with AI.
• Engages with music, tech, and legal communities to ensure member representation.

Advocacy & Comments

• ASCAP submitted comments for the Federal AI Action Plan, advocating for music creator protection.
• Engages in discussions on Capitol Hill to ensure music creators have a voice as new laws are developed.

Main Principles Adopted by ASCAP

1. Human Creators First: Rights and compensation for human creativity.
2. Transparency: Identifying AI vs. human-generated works; AI companies to disclose training materials.
3. Consent: Protecting creators’ rights to decide their work's involvement in AI training.
4. Compensation / Free Market: Ensuring fair payment for creators when AI utilizes their work.
5. Credit: Acknowledging creators when their works contribute to AI-generated music.
6. Global Consistency: Creating a fair global intellectual property landscape.

Copyright & Registration

• Fully AI-Generated Works: Not eligible for copyright in the US and cannot be registered with ASCAP.
• Partially AI-Generated Works: Eligibility for copyright depends on human involvement; current policies may evolve.
• ASCAP reserves rights to remove improperly registered AI works.

Education & Incubation

• Education: Fostering conversations between music creators, technologists, and legal experts.
• Incubation: Through ASCAP Labs and partnerships, supporting innovative technologies in music creation.

AI Definitions & Usage

• Fully AI-Generated Works: Created entirely by AI algorithms.
• Partially AI-Generated Works: Combines AI content with human authorship.
• AI companies cannot be authors under current US law.
• Non-generative AI tools aiding workflow do not affect copyrightability.

ASCAP Actions & Initiatives

• Launched initiatives like ASCAP AI Lab Challenge and AI Symposium meetings.
• Engaged policymakers to align with ASCAP's AI principles.
• Advocates for consent, credit, and compensation in AI training.

Licensing and Fair Use

• ASCAP believes AI model training on copyrighted material requires a rights holder's consent.
• Actively monitoring and participating in lawsuits and policymaker discussions to protect creator rights.

Future Updates

• ASCAP continues to refine its AI policies and encourages members to stay informed on developments.