UK Music Industry Takes Legal Action Against Deepfake Voice Start-up Voicify

The UK music industry has taken unprecedented legal steps against a new technology known for generating 'deepfake' music, focusing on a start-up named Voicify. This company is in the spotlight for creating music tracks that imitate the voices of famous musicians such as Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, and Drake.

Accusation of Copyright Infringement

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), a body that represents the music industry, has accused Voicify of copyright infringement, claiming that the company used copyrighted work to train its AI to mimic artist's voices without permission.

BPI has sent a legal notice to Voicify and is getting ready to begin formal legal procedures. Their argument is based on the notion that using copyrighted material to train AI infringes on the rights of the original creators.

Voicify's Technology Under Scrutiny

Voicify, which was started by a student from Southampton University named Aditya Bansal, operates an online service called Jammable. This platform allows users to blend their voice recordings with the artificial voices of popular artists to create unique tracks. Despite offering a service with more than 3,000 voice models and varying subscription fees, Voicify has not publicly commented on the dispute.

The BPI's worry is that Jammable might be including parts of copyrighted songs in its synthetic voice tracks, which could legally implicate the service.

Industry Reaction to Copyright Concerns

Kiaron Whitehead, BPI's general counsel, expressed disapproval of Jammable's use of technology that allegedly infringes on the creative rights of artists. Meanwhile, Gee Davy of the Association of Independent Music underlined the broader implications on artists' earning potential and the sanctity of creative collaboration.

The vigilance of the UK music industry is not limited to small companies; it is also directed against larger firms. For instance, legal actions have been pursued against Anthropic, a company supported by major tech corporations, for accusations related to the distribution of copyrighted song lyrics through its AI technology.

This ongoing legal tussle shines a light on the challenges that the music industry faces with the advent of AI and the need for a legal framework to keep pace with technological advancements.

legal, copyright, AI