Now, AI-Assisted Songs With Human Creativity Can Be Copyrighted in South Korea

SEOUL, Aug 6: South Korea will allow AI-assisted songs to be registered for copyright protection if human creators played a significant role in the creative process, including writing lyrics, composing melodies, or arranging the music, local media reported on Wednesday.

The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) said that songs created entirely by artificial intelligence, using only simple text prompts, will not qualify for copyright registration, according to The Korea Herald.

The revised policy reverses KOMCA's earlier approach of refusing registration of AI-assisted works due to concerns about copyright disputes and the lack of clear standards for determining human contribution.

"The purpose of the revision is to formally recognize AI-assisted creative practices while safeguarding the rights of human creators," KOMCA said.

Under the new rules, applicants must disclose the AI tools used, explain how they contributed to the creative process, and confirm the accuracy of their submissions. KOMCA may request additional evidence, including digital audio workstation files, editing records, sheet music, prompt histories, and AI generation logs, to verify the level of human involvement.

Creators may use AI to generate ideas, melodies, or arrangements, but they must demonstrate that important artistic decisions were made by humans. Works later found to be fully AI-generated or registered using false information could face suspension of royalty payments, repayment of royalties, and termination of copyright trust agreements.

KOMCA said the policy represents South Korea's first formal standard for registering AI-assisted music and aims to integrate AI-created elements into the existing copyright system while protecting human creativity.