Never Going Out of Style: How AI-Generated Music’s Reliance on Style-Based Prompts Calls for a Reminder That No One Can Copyright a Musical Genre

In an article for the American Bar Association, AGG Litigation and Entertainment & Sports attorney T.C. Ogletree examines how style-based prompts used in AI-generated music are reviving long-settled copyright law. As T.C. explains, U.S. copyright law protects original expression — not ideas, genres, or styles — meaning no artist or rights holder can claim exclusive ownership over a musical genre, even when AI tools make stylistic imitation easier and more accessible.

T.C. analyzes how courts have consistently drawn this distinction, including in high-profile cases involving the song “Blurred Lines,” as well as separate copyright disputes involving Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran. These cases reinforce that copyright infringement hinges on protectable expression, not shared influences, sonic similarities, or genre conventions.

To read the full article, please click here (subscription required).