The Korea Music Copyright Association (Chairman Chuga Yeol) announced that on the 15th, it held a signing ceremony for a music copyright usage license contract for the AI sheet music conversion service "LaraNote" at the headquarters of Blending, located in Gangnam, Seoul, in collaboration with OGQ Blending (CEO Shin Cheol-ho, President Son Chang-won, hereinafter referred to as Blending).
This contract is the world's first case in which a copyright collective management organization has formally entered into a usage license contract for an AI service, and it is being recognized as a meaningful precedent demonstrating the potential for collaboration between the AI industry and copyright systems.
"LaraNote" is an AI-based service developed to replace the traditional manual music score production method, allowing users to upload audio files, after which the AI model automatically generates sheet music for download. It is gaining attention for enabling users without specialized knowledge of music theory to easily utilize sheet music.
This contract is a clear example of the necessity of a formal usage license contract, as acts protected under copyright law occur in the process of the AI service utilizing music copyright materials.
Generally, AI music services are divided into ▲model training and ▲consumer service stages, and during this process, two key copyright utilization acts, "reproduction" and "transmission," occur. In the stage where the AI collects and analyzes audio to learn music, the music copyright materials are reproduced as data, and the results of this learning (e.g., scores or music, etc.) are transmitted to consumers via streaming or download.
Both of these acts, "reproduction" and "transmission," require the copyright holder's "usage permission" under copyright law. However, many AI services currently utilize music copyright materials without formal contracts with copyright holders, indicating that the entire AI industry is pointed out as a typical copyright blind spot.
In fact, related lawsuits have already begun abroad. The German Music Copyright Association (GEMA) filed a lawsuit in November 2024 against OpenAI's generative AI ChatGPT for unlawfully learning and using song lyrics, and in January 2025, it identified that Suno and Udio unlawfully utilized audio for AI model training and initiated legal responses.
In this situation, the Korea Music Copyright Association's first global contract with an AI service is significant as it shows that the development of the AI industry and the protection of creators' rights can not only collide but can also harmonize. In particular, since this is the world's first case where an AI service has entered into a formal contract regarding the use of music copyright materials, it is expected to serve as an important benchmark for similar services in the future. The Korea Music Copyright Association plans to promote follow-up research on the actual usage of music copyright materials in the AI service sector starting with this contract and expand contracts with key AI companies both domestically and internationally.
The Secretary-General of the Korea Music Copyright Association, Hwang Seon-cheol, noted, "This contract is an important first step that demonstrates the possibility of the AI industry developing while respecting the rights of creators," and expressed hope that, by establishing a precedent for copyright contracts, it would reduce the legal uncertainties of AI services and promote the awareness of the importance of usage permission.
[Photo] Korea Music Copyright Association
[OSEN]