This is Stim’s position on AI – artificial intelligence

Stim works on behalf of rightsholders, and our entire operation is based on copyright law and established legal practice. A fundamental principle of copyright law — and therefore our operations — is that musical works must be created by a human being.

You are responsible for the musical work you register

When you register a musical work with or through Stim, you certify that the information you provide is correct. This means that you are responsible for ensuring that the person or people you list are the actual creators of the music and/or lyrics in the work of music, and that the ownership shares for the rightsholders are correctly stated.

Created by "human hands"

Stim only represents musical works that are protected by copyright. A basic principle of copyright law is that only music and lyrics created by a physical person are eligible for protection. This is often described as a work of music needing to be created by "human hands” ("av mänsklig hand" in Swedish). This means that AI-generated music or lyrics are not protected by copyright. Therefore, AI-produced material should not be registered with Stim.

However, the situation is different if a creator has used AI as a tool to develop or process music or lyrics. As long as the individual creator personally makes the “free and creative choices” that determine the final form of the music and/or lyrics, the requirement that the material be created by "human hands" is fulfilled. In such cases, the creator’s contribution to the work may be registered with Stim, provided it demonstrates a sufficient degree of originality.

It is not possible to define in advance exactly where the boundaries for “free and creative choices” and/or originality lie. Ultimately, this is a matter for the courts to decide. However, several court rulings in Europe have indicated that material created solely through prompting — meaning asking questions or giving instructions to an AI tool — does not normally grant the person writing the prompts copyright protection for the AI tool’s output.

You may need to demonstrate that you created the work of music you are registering. You should therefore keep documentation showing your creative process.

Stim follows developments closely

It is important to understand that throughout the over 100 years that Stim has existed, we have worked in the best interests of creators. During that time, the world has undergone major technological shifts — from the arrival of gramophone records and countless television channels, to CDs, MP3 players, streaming services, and entirely new media consumption patterns.

These developments have fundamentally challenged our operations, but we have continuously found ways to adapt and update our operations to meet new conditions.

As AI-development rapidly moves forward, we closely monitor its progress, being prepared for making updates and to adapt as laws and the world evolve.