Apple Music
0 comments Facebook Twitter Reddit
Apple and Other Companies Retract Artificial Intelligence-Generated Song “Heart on My Sleeve” from Drake and The Weeknd Due to Copyright Issues by Universal Music group.
In March 2023, Universal Music Group (UMG) reportedly contacted streaming platforms about AI. The company said the song violated copyright law because it was created with artificial intelligence tools that were the focus of other copyright issues.
Recently, a song called “Heart on My Sleeve” went viral on popular streaming platforms from a writer known as “Ghostwriter”. They said it was created with software trained by artists Drake and The Weeknd, according to a BBC report.
Apple Music, Deezer and Tidal removed the song following a complaint from UMG on Monday, followed by Spotify, TikTok and YouTube. The link to the original YouTube version of the song now reads “This video is no longer available due to Universal Music Group's copyright infringement claim.”
“These cases demonstrate why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent their services from being used in ways that harm artists,” UMG said. “We are encouraged by the involvement of our platform partners in addressing these challenges, as they recognize that they must be part of the solution.”
An intellectual property lawyer said that copyright and artificial intelligence are more complex. “However, a 'dipfalsified' voice that does not specifically copy a performance is not likely to be protected and may even be considered a protected work in its own right,” said RPC's Jani Ihalainen.
“Current legislation is far from adequate to deal with deepfakes and potential issues in terms of intellectual property and other rights,” he added.
He mentioned that — at least in the UK — performers have special rights to their performances under copyright law, which includes recording certain performances and making copies of those recordings.
Although neither artist has yet commented on the song, Drake recently expressed dissatisfaction with the dubbing of his voice. “This is the last straw for AI,” he wrote on Instagram in response to a music video that used his voice.
