AI-generated disco version of Bulgarian song sold without permission
Bulgarian folk musicians Sevdalina and Valentin Spasovi reported that an AI-generated disco version of their copyrighted song 'Sine, sine' was uploaded to major streaming platforms and sold without permission under an unknown DJ's name. The musicians stated this represents a new form of violation after decades of fighting plagiarism of their work.
What happened
Sevdalina and Valentin Spasovi, Bulgarian folk musicians and authors of the song 'Sinesinc', reported that a disco version of their song generated with artificial intelligence was uploaded to streaming platforms including Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud without their permission.
An unknown DJ claimed ownership of the AI-generated version and sold it freely on multiple platforms under their own name. The musicians stated that YouTube removed over 2,000 videos that used their original song after they provided an official copyright license.
Reported impact
Sevdalina and Valentin Spasovi reported that the unauthorized use and AI transformation of their song represented an erasure of Bulgarian culture. They stated the song had been plagiarized repeatedly for 25 years, but this AI-generated version was a new form of violation.
The musicians reported that despite the song being included in a prestigious academic music anthology in the United States and taught in American educational institutions, it was not included in any Bulgarian music textbooks.
Index analysis
The unauthorized AI-generated disco version of a copyrighted Bulgarian folk song was distributed across major streaming platforms without the authors' consent or permission, and was sold under a false attribution to an unknown DJ.
Governance controls
Sevdalina and Valentin Spasovi stated they had been fighting plagiarism for over 25 years and had provided official copyright licenses. They reported contacting lawyers and attempting to act through Musicautor, Bulgaria's music copyright collection agency.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.