Abstract
Technologies such as the Internet and MP3 file format have taken their toll on the traditional business models used by entities like record labels and music retailers. Now, technological innovations such as open-sourcing, crowdsourcing, and compu-sourcing are resulting in a democratization of music production that threatens to end the monopoly skilled musicians enjoy in the music-creation marketplace. These innovations are also driving the generation of an increasing supply of music with few or no reserved copyrights and a potential decline in the average value of intellectual property in music. This Comment explores the threat computer-generated music poses to the music industry. It further proposes that a “Natural Talent” certification mark may provide a way for musicians to certify their works as “authentic” and differentiate their music from that produced by computers.
Recommended Citation
William P. Jacobson,
The Robot’s Record: Protecting the Value of Intellectual Property in Music when Automation Drives the Marginal Cost of Music Production to Zero,
32 Loy. L.A. Ent. L. Rev. 31
(2011).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/elr/vol32/iss1/2
