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AI Editor

AI and copyright:
What does this mean for you as a creator?

AI is rapidly transforming the creative sector. This presents opportunities, but also raises questions about authorship, protection, and compensation. On this page, you can read about how Sabam is monitoring these developments and what key issues are important for you as a creator.

Sabam's vision on AI

Artificial intelligence offers new opportunities for creators. It can inspire, support, and enable new creative processes.

At the same time, AI raises important questions about authorship, transparency, and compensation. Many AI systems are developed based on existing creative works. For Sabam, it is essential that creators know how their works are being used and that they are fairly compensated for this.

That is why Sabam upholds the principle that copyrighted works may not be used for AI training without permission. To protect the rights of its members, Sabam has made use of the statutory opt-out mechanism for text and data mining. As a result, AI developers cannot simply use the Sabam repertoire for training purposes.

Sabam closely monitors Belgian and European developments regarding AI and collaborates with policymakers, partners, and sister organizations to establish a framework that enables innovation while respecting the rights of creators.

Our guiding principle remains clear: technology may evolve, but human creativity must continue to be recognized, protected, and fairly compensated.

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Can a work created using AI be protected by copyright?

That depends on the human creative input.

Copyright protects human creativity. If you, as the creator, make enough creative choices of your own, your work can be protected by copyright, even if you used AI during the process.

  • AI as a tool
    Do you use AI as a source of inspiration, an assistant, or a technical tool, while you make the creative choices? Then your work may be protected by copyright.
    Consider, for example, AI that provides ideas, makes suggestions, or assists with certain technical tasks, while you decide what to use, adapt, or develop further.

  • AI as oart of the creative process
    If AI generated part of the work, but you also made a sufficiently creative contribution yourself, protection may be available for the part for which you made the creative choices.
    It is therefore important to correctly indicate what role AI played and what contribution came from you.

  • Entirely generated by AI
    When a work is generated entirely by AI without sufficient human creative input, it is not currently considered a copyright-protected work.
    At this time, copyrights for such works cannot be managed or paid out.
Do you use AI in your creative process?

Transparency is key.
Sabam asks creators to accurately indicate when AI played a role in the creative process. This allows us to better document works, further develop our rights management, and stay prepared for future regulations regarding AI and copyright.

This information helps to:

  • create clarity regarding the human creative contribution;
  • accurately document works;
  • apply future regulations correctly;
  • keep track of new developments regarding AI and copyright.

As creator, you remain responsible for the information you provide when registering your work.

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What should you look for in AI platforms?

Be careful when uploading text, music, images, scripts, designs, or other creative ideas to an AI platform.

Some platforms include provisions in their terms of service stating that they may use submitted content to further train or develop their systems. As a result, you may unwittingly relinquish rights or usage options regarding your own work.

Therefore, always read the terms of service carefully before submitting creative works to an AI tool.

Pay particular attention to:

  • what the platform is allowed to do with your input;
  • whether your work may be used for training;
  • who holds the rights to the generated output;
  • whether you may use the output commercially;
  • what restrictions apply to professional use.
What You Might Want to Know
Am I still considered an author, and can I become a member of Sabam if I use AI? Yes. You can become a member of Sabam if your work is the result of your own creative choices. If you use AI as a tool for writing, composing, or creating, the work remains, in principle, a human creation. Works generated entirely by AI without sufficient human input are not eligible for copyright protection and therefore cannot be administered by Sabam.
Is AI-generated content automatically royalty-free?

No. AI-generated content is not automatically copyright-free. AI systems are trained using large amounts of existing texts, compositions, and other creative works, often without the explicit permission of the copyright holders. As a result, the output may contain elements that build upon copyrighted works.

What is rights-free:

  • Works whose copyright has expired (70 years after the author’s death).

  • Works that are not based on pre-existing protected works and for which the creator explicitly states that you may use them freely.

AI-generated content rarely meets these conditions.
Why does Sabam ask that works created entirely by AI also be reported?

By also reporting works created entirely by AI, you help Sabam gain a better understanding of how AI is used in the creative sector today. This information helps us monitor new developments, further improve our services, and prepare for potential future changes in regulations.

Important: Songs created entirely by AI are not currently considered copyright-protected. Sabam therefore cannot collect or distribute royalties for them. Because regulations surrounding AI are evolving rapidly, registration helps us respond quickly should royalties or compensation become possible in the future.
Am I personally responsible for properly registering my work? And does filing a registration mean that my work is protected? Yes. As a member, you are responsible for registering your repertoire completely and accurately and for ensuring that the works you register are protected by copyright. This applies to all works, whether created with or without AI.

You are therefore responsible for determining whether your creative contribution is sufficiently original. Sabam cannot determine whether a work is eligible for copyright protection. We only process the information you provide when filing a declaration and manage your work based on your declaration.

Important: Registering a work with Sabam does not mean that it automatically enjoys copyright protection. Sabam does not conduct a legal review to determine whether a registered work meets the conditions for copyright protection.

Only a court can rule on this matter.
What are the risks of sharing my creations with an AI platform?

When you upload song lyrics, compositions, or other creative ideas to an AI service, you often automatically grant certain rights to that platform. Many companies stipulate in their terms of service that they may reuse your material, for example, to further train their system. In some cases, you may even grant a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license without even realizing it.

In addition, some AI providers impose restrictions on the use of the output you generate through their system. For example, commercial use, sharing on platforms, or use in professional projects may be prohibited or restricted.

In short:

  • you may unknowingly relinquish rights to your own work;

  • the freedom to use AI-generated output may be limited.

Therefore, always read the terms of use carefully before submitting creative works to an AI service.
Why does Sabam protect its repertoire from use by AI systems?

Sabam wants to prevent AI platforms from using its repertoire without permission to train their models. Today, music, lyrics, images, and other creative works are being used on a massive scale for AI training, often without transparency, compensation, or the creators’ knowledge.

By explicitly reserving the right to prevent text and data mining of its repertoire by AI platforms, Sabam ensures that anyone wishing to use Sabam works must first request permission, negotiate the terms of use, and provide appropriate compensation.

In this way, Sabam protects the exclusive rights of its authors, composers, and publishers, while at the same time leaving room for technological innovation that treats creativity with respect.