Thailand's Department of Intellectual Property has told singers, songwriters and producers to do more to protect themselves as AI makes it easier to copy voices and songs. Director-General Auramon Supthaweethum said the department will advise music professionals on protecting and commercialising their rights.
Whether a cloned track infringes depends on use: copyright is at stake when protected parts of a song, such as lyrics, melody, arrangement or recording, are copied, adapted or distributed without permission. One song can carry several layers of rights. Protection is automatic, but the department suggests logging works in its free online database to help prove authorship and date and let would-be users find the owner, and keeping drafts, original files and release records.
It also points artists to trademarks, which can cover stage names, band names and logos, with sound marks possible for distinctive sounds. This matters more as deepfakes imitate voices and faces for merchandise or licensing. The department added that using a hashtag first does not make it yours, though a hashtag registered as a trademark can raise separate issues.
Artists facing impersonation, misuse of their names or other disputes can go to its advisory centre, IPAC, which offers free advice and mediation by department specialists, via its 1368 hotline or Facebook.
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