K-Music Rights Organizations Mutual Growth Committee Launched... Full-Scale AI Copyright War Begins

Siha Lee Leads Formation of Six-Organization Alliance

(From left) Jeonghyun Lee, President of the Korea Federation of Music Performers, Seunghyun Woo, Chairman of the Korea Music Content Association, Siha Lee, President of the Korea Music Copyright Association, Baekwoon Lim, President of the Korea Entertainment Producers Association, Dongheon Han, Chairman of the Together Music Copyright Association, and Sungmin Park, Director of the Korea Music Industry Association. Courtesy of the Korea Music Copyright Association

Domestic music rights organizations have joined forces to respond to the copyright crisis brought about by the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

On March 3, it was announced that six music rights organizations, including the Korea Music Copyright Association, officially launched the "K-Music Rights Organizations Mutual Growth Committee" on February 26.

The committee includes the Korea Phonogram Industry Association (President Choi Kyungsik), Korea Entertainment Producer Association (President Im Baekwoon), Collaborative Music Copyright Association (Chairman Han Dongheon), Korea Music Performers Association (President Lee Junghyun), and Korea Music Content Association (Chairman Woo Seunghyun). Siha Lee, President of the Korea Music Copyright Association, was elected as the chairman of the committee.

The committee has defined the current situation as the "four major crises," including the spread of generative AI and the restructuring of the platform market. In response, they plan to build an integrated blockchain-based infrastructure and secure core technologies that link international standard identification codes such as ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code), ISRC (International Standard Recording Code), YouTube Content ID (CID), and Unified Content Identifier (UCI). Their vision is to complete a standard model that enables real-time tracking, collection, and distribution, thereby gaining leadership in the global market.

Through their manifesto, they demanded a ban on unauthorized AI training without the consent of creators, mandatory transparency in the AI creation process, and the institutionalization of a clear distinction between human-created works and AI-generated works. To achieve this, they agreed to form a joint AI response task force (TF) and unify negotiation channels.

Siha Lee, chairman of the Mutual Growth Committee, stated, "The next two years are a golden time that will determine the survival of the music industry," adding, "Since individual responses cannot stop this huge wave, the organizations have come together." He further emphasized, "We will establish our copyright management system as the global standard so that Korea can lead the world copyright order."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.