SOCAN Stakes Out Legal Position: AI Services Must License Music Before Use
SOCAN — the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, the country's collective management organization for songwriters, composers and music publishers — announced via its official Instagram account that it has put forward a legal position: AI services must obtain rights holders' permission and pay for the music they use, and there should be consequences for using music without a license.
In its statement, SOCAN was direct about the framing: "Copyright does not stop innovation." The organization argues that laws protecting songwriters, composers and music publishers apply just as much in the age of generative AI as they did before it.
What SOCAN is asking for
According to the announcement, the position breaks down into three demands:
- Songwriters, composers and music publishers should be able to decide when and how their music is used by AI services
- Rights holders should be compensated when their music is used
- AI services should understand there are consequences for using music without authorization
Notably, SOCAN isn't framing this as an objection to the technology itself. Instead, it's arguing that existing copyright frameworks should still be enforced even as generative AI systems draw heavily on existing recordings and compositions.
Why a collective management org, not individual artists
SOCAN operates as a collective rights management organization, handling licensing and royalty distribution for public performance and related rights on behalf of its songwriter, composer and publisher members. The fact that this position comes from SOCAN itself, rather than individual artists, means it's meant to cover its entire membership's rights — not a dispute over a single song or recording.
SOCAN's statement does not name specific AI companies or describe a pending lawsuit; further details are not yet public. For more, see SOCAN's Instagram announcement and its official channels.