IFPI Act AI

Photo Credit: Guillaume Périgois

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), SACEM, GEMA, and STIM have officially called on European Union member states “to show global leadership” by approving the long-touted AI Act.

The mentioned organizations, besides approximately 200 others from throughout “Europe’s creative and cultural sectors,” today penned the corresponding letter backing the AI Act. At present, the signatories’ desired outcome is Coreper approval of the bill.

Described as the European Council’s “main preparatory body” and consisting of one representative per member state, Coreper at its weekly meeting on Friday will address (among other things) the AI Act.

On the heels of a December provisional deal in favor of the AI Act, this vote is a key next step on the road to passage and then implementation for the measure, which debuted in 2021 and, against the backdrop of a quick-evolving AI sphere, has faced multiple modifications and ample committee consideration.

Like with the highly controversial Copyright Directive, the burden of enforcing the AI Act’s regulatory framework would seemingly fall on the shoulders of each EU nation. And if some countries’ slow-moving implementation of said Directive is any indication, it could be several years before the AI Act goes into effect even if it’s given the green light tomorrow.

As summarized by Reuters, approval isn’t guaranteed. “French President Emmanuel Macron is skeptical of the AI deal and has called for ‘evaluating’ its implementation,” the outlet wrote. “A ‘blocking minority’ including at least four countries can technically call for evaluation at a Coreper, potentially derailing the deal.”

What is certain, however, is the music industry’s backing of the voluminous AI Act, which isn’t to be confused with the comparatively small-scale No AI Fraud Act that could be gaining legislative traction in the U.S.

“These obligations represent a minimum basis to build on efforts to enable European creators and rights holders to ensure their rights are being respected and that authorization is sought for the use of their content,” the initially disclosed organizations communicated in their joint letter.

“Doing so would foster an environment where rights and commercial freedoms are respected by simultaneously fostering the licensing of creative content to AI models – kickstarting partnership and innovation opportunities,” the entities proceeded.

Last month, a study commissioned by the aforementioned SACEM and GEMA found that music AI solutions already made up a $300 million industry as of 2023’s conclusion – with the potential for that figure to hit $3.1 billion by 2028.

And in other EU legislative news, Spotify has demanded that commissioners act against Apple’s alleged App Store “extortion” amid a quick-approaching enforcement deadline for the Digital Markets Act.