Karyawan to submit memo on music royalties, AI

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Artistes’ Association (Karyawan) will submit a memorandum to the government on royalty claims and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the local music industry.

Karyawan president Freddie Fernandez said the memorandum, which has the support of more than 200 music industry practitioners, includes proposals on legal considerations and forms of assistance the government could provide to affected music practitioners.

Fernandez said the emergence of AI in the local music industry had generated differing views among musicians, and clear guidelines were needed to address this, reported Berita Harian.

He said the memorandum would be fine-tuned during a convention organised by Karyawan on Sunday before being submitted to the government a week later.

“All aspects will be covered in the memorandum, including issues related to AI. There needs to be a dedicated discussion to establish clear regulations on AI,” he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

“At the moment, organisations such as Music Authors Copyright Protection Bhd maintain that AI-generated works are not acceptable at all, while others believe they can be partially accepted.

“This is creating confusion. We need to find a middle ground on what is acceptable and what is not. If a work uses AI, it should simply be declared as an AI-generated work.

“These are the issues we want to clarify through discussions so that a definitive decision can be reached.”

Fernandez said the convention will also provide a platform for music practitioners to voice their views and seek clarification on various issues that remain unclear.

The convention will feature industry panellists who will share insights on topics such as royalties, AI, grants, concerts, music education, as well as social media and digital marketing.