APRA AMCOS Leads United Push for AI Copyright Protections

Australia's leading music and creative organisations are ramping up pressure on the Federal Government to protect creators from the unchecked use of copyrighted works by AI companies.

Led by APRA AMCOS, the coalition - comprising ARIA, The Copyright Agency, Australian Music Centre, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office, Australian Publishers Association, Screenrights, Screen Producers Australia, AIR and others - has issued an open letter urging the government to uphold Australia's copyright laws and ensure creators are protected as AI technologies continue to evolve.

It comes after The Atlantic revealed last month that millions of Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand musical works had been included in four "giant datasets of songs" allegedly used to train AI models without the knowledge, consent or payment of the songwriters, composers and publishers behind them, sparking widespread concern across the music industry.

Among the local artists whose works were reportedly included are Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, Sia, Crowded House, Split Enz, INXS, Kylie Minogue, Ché Fu, Lorde, Christine Anu, Nick Cave, Tame Impala, Yothu Yindi, Six60, Marlon Williams, Dan Sultan, and many more.

Ahead of presenting the letter to the Federal Government, APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston urged members to add their names to the campaign, describing the issue as an unprecedented threat.

"We are just as appalled as you are about tech platforms using your works for AI training without permission or payment," he said in a statement. "What is happening to Australian and New Zealand songwriters, composers and music publishers is the largest theft of intellectual property in the history of our industry.

"APRA AMCOS will go armed with the signatures of our members as well as creators from across the nation's creative industries," his statement continued. "I have already signed my name, calling on the Australian Government to commit to the future of creativity in this country and not to trade it away. I urge you to join me and sign your name."

Ormston added: "To our Aotearoa whānau and members, more to come."

The organisations are calling on the Federal Government to ensure AI developers cannot use copyrighted creative works without permission, transparency or fair remuneration, arguing that Australia's existing copyright framework should continue to protect creators in the AI era.

"Last year the Government rejected a proposal that would let AI companies use our work for free. That was the right call. The Australian public is asking technology platforms to be accountable, to the environment, to the community, and to our culture. Consent and remuneration are how that accountability works for creators. Not a discretionary arrangement on the platform's terms. The right to say yes or no, and to be paid when the answer is yes," the open letter reads.

"What the AI companies want instead is a system where they decide what to pay and when. No rights. No negotiation. No recourse. They want to go from asking permission to asking for gratitude."

Read the full open letter here.

From Rolling Stone AU/NZ