South Korea sets copyright rules for AI-generated music

The Korea Copyright Association (KOMCA) has clarified its stance on copyright for music created with artificial intelligence, aiming to protect human creators while acknowledging AI's role in the industry. Under the new guidelines, musicians can register copyrights for works developed with AI assistance, provided they have played a substantial role in the songwriting, composition, or production process.

However, songs generated entirely by AI will not qualify for copyright protection. KOMCA emphasized that the regulation's purpose is to formally recognize creative applications that utilize AI, thereby safeguarding the rights of human producers. Applicants seeking copyright must detail the AI tools they used and demonstrate that the core elements of the song were human-generated.

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This regulation's purpose is to formally recognize creative applications that utilize AI, thereby safeguarding the rights of human producers.

This decision reflects a growing global discussion on intellectual property in the age of AI. While AI tools can accelerate creative processes and offer new avenues for musical expression, KOMCA's approach seeks a balance, ensuring that human creativity remains at the forefront of copyright eligibility.

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Applicants seeking copyright must detail the AI tools they used and demonstrate that the core elements of the song were human-generated.