Is artificial intelligence about to take over the Malaysian art world? Earlier this year, a fully AI-generated film hit Malaysian theaters and last year it was used in several film productions, TV series and music videos. This week, Jane In Heaven's song Cinta Tersimpul Rapi managed to reach the top of the Malaysian iTunes chart.
It is a cover song of Cinta Tersimpul Rapi which was popularized by Anis Suraya in the 90s. The song originally went viral on TikTok after being released by Jane In Heaven a month ago. On social media, many criticized the remixed song for not paying royalties to the original writers Azmeer and Lukhman S.
Jane in Heaven's YouTube channel has over 40 other AI-generated cover songs popularized by M Nasir, Aishah, Search, Sudirman and many more with millions of views so far. This cover song of Cinta Tersimpul Rapi alone has been viewed over 4.4 million times.
The Malaysian Employee Copyright Protection Agency (MACP) has issued a statement saying that copyright protection is a right reserved for real humans only. It also insists that creative works must come from the life experiences, labor, and skills of human songwriters and not be generated by code. This stance ensures that while AI can imitate voices or melodies, it cannot claim the legal rights or financial rewards of the creator.
The MACP guidelines are in line with the view of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) which also says that any AI-generated work cannot be owned by anyone, even the human who entered the prom because copyright can only be granted to humans.
