Artificial intelligence – AI – uses computers to create systems that tend to “disrupt” the existing copyrights of the creators of the written, visual, or audio works.
The threat to written works was discussed in my article “AI and Copyrighted Written Works,” SBCurrent March 24, 2026.
The threat to visual works was discussed in my article “AI and Copyrighted Visual Works,” SBCurrent April 17, 2026.
Audio
Audio works include the copyrights of musicians and record labels.
Santa Barbara has an active musical scene including:
The Music Academy of the West was founded in 1947 by Southern California arts patrons, musicians, conductors, and composers.
The Granada Theatre opened in 1924 as a Grand Movie Palace and Live Performance Venue.
The Lobero Theatre was established in 1873 and is renowned for its historic charm and intimate ambiance as well as for delivering top-notch programs within a welcoming atmosphere.
SOhO Restaurant and Music Club hosts events and concerts almost every day of the week featuring all kinds of music.
The Funk Zone offers a variety of venues featuring music, such as the Carr Winery.
And, let’s not forget the 4,562-seat Santa Barbara Bowl, a Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) amphitheatre built in 1936 that regularly features world-famous musical acts in a stunning outdoors venue.
The quirky but elegant Arlington Theatre too has presented many musical performances over the years.
Copyright
The U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 grants authors of original works some exclusive rights, such as preventing others from reproducing their works.
The Supreme Court in Twentieth Century Music Corp. v Allen, 422 U.S. 151 (1975) held that the goal of copyright laws is to promote the “broad public availability of literature, music and the other arts.”
However, only creative works are entitled to copyright protection. To be creative a work must have a “spark” and a “modicum” of creativity.
Things that do not qualify include titles, names, short phrases, lettering, and a listing of ingredients or contents.
The law provides that “the fair use of a copyrighted work…for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching… scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.”
Artists proving a violation of their copyrights must prove these four factors:
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