South Korea will allow creators to register AI-assisted songs for copyright if they can demonstrate substantial human creative input, marking the country's first formal standard for recognising such works.
The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) said the new policy allows registration for songs in which humans played a significant role, such as writing lyrics, composing or arranging the music, according to the Korea Herald.
Songs generated entirely by artificial intelligence from simple text prompts will remain ineligible for copyright protection.
The move reverses KOMCA's previous policy of withholding registration for AI-assisted works due to concerns over potential copyright disputes and the absence of clear standards.
Human creativity required
"The purpose of the revision is to formally recognise AI-assisted creative practices while safeguarding the rights of human creators," KOMCA said in a statement.
Applicants will be required to disclose the AI tools they used, explain how they were incorporated into the creative process and certify the accuracy of the information.
If additional verification is needed, the association may request supporting materials, including digital audio workstation project files, editing histories, sheet music, prompt records and AI generation logs, to determine the extent of human authorship.
Penalties for false declarations
Under the new rules, producers may use AI to generate ideas, melodies or arrangements, but they must demonstrate that key creative decisions were made by a human.
Works later found to have been generated entirely by AI, or registered using false information, could face suspended royalty payments, repayment of improperly received royalties and termination of trust agreements.
KOMCA said it is also considering penalties of up to three times the improperly received royalties in cases of intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
The association said the policy establishes South Korea's first codified framework for registering AI-assisted music while bringing such works into the existing copyright system.
