Uncredited vocals on song I Run by British dance act Haven alleged to infringe copyright as impersonation of Smith
Jorja Smith’s record label has called for a share of the royalties from a TikTok-viral song that it claims used an AI-cloned version of the British singer’s voice.
The song I Run, by British dance act Haven, went viral in October and was due to chart in the UK and the US after reaching No 11 on the US Spotify chart and No 25 on the platform’s global chart.
It was then banned by streaming services after takedown notices issued by Smith’s label, and industry bodies the Recording Industry Association of America and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry alleged that the song infringed on copyright by impersonating Smith – and by misleading listeners into believing that the song was an unreleased original by her.
Many of Haven’s social media posts about the song were tagged #jorjasmith. A video appeared to show Offset of Migos playing the song during his set at Boiler Room New York, which led many fans to believe it was an unreleased Smith song – footage that itself turned out to be fake.
