This might limit the extent to which you could make this conversion available to others, depending on how, exactly, you could do such a thing (does it duplicate the service?). On the assumption that the conversion involves a component of Chrome, you can use the service per the terms of service, though you cannot “reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, trade or resell the Services”. Automated processes like (unassisted) OCR or wav-to-mp3 conversion would not count as being “original”, nor would automatic text-to-speech, so you don’t gain copyright just from making an automatic work-creating tool available. However, if you did not create the text and your only function is to host an automatic process where users can create a synthesized recording, then whoever created the text has the right to the text and derivative works (i.e. The crucial consideration governing that right is that you “created” the work, meaning that there is a modicum of creativity. Therefore, you hold the copyright to the recordings as well. That means that you hold the copyright to the text, and only you can authorize a derivative work (such as a synthesized recording). I presume the input is text: “my original text” is assumed to mean you wrote (created) the text. Integrated into the usage as made available by the Google Chrome installation of theĪn answer we got from the community can be found here: Rather, one must ensure that only non-Apple voices are Involve a contractual ban against commercial use as embodied in various editions of Submit, post or display on or through, the Services.Īs such any sound recordings would be copyrightable at Copyrightgov in the nameĬaution is urged to refrain from using voices made available by Apple, as such voices Resulting sound recording copyrights to the recorded files to the user of theĪpplication, as long as the text is your original text created or otherwise legally usedġ0.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you It is very clear that the Google terms of service for this app gives ownership of Specially, the issue I have beenĪsked to address is whether or not the outputted sound files that embody anĪrtificially spoken word performance would in violation of a third party copyright. I have been asked to render an opinion regarding usage of the Web Speech API asĮxpressed through the Google Chrome Browser. My specific question is about the recorded audio file. The closest answer by Google I saw is here: Which says the web speech api can be used for commercial. I record the output audio using some other software.ĭo I own the copyrights to that recording? Can I sell the recorded audio file? Can I use it in my commercial YouTubes for instance?Īccording to Chrome’s terms (as depicted here: ), it would seem to me - I am indeed the owner of the recording, as Chrome’s speech api is given as one of Chrome’s services, which I can use to produce my own content. I use the Web Speech API via Chrome to synthesize speech of my original text. Here is the question, followed by his formal answer. So, we asked one of the leading copyrights attorneys - Attorney Rod Underhill from California about it. We asked Google’s legal team about it, and they asked us to ask a private attorney. Copyrights of Recorded Output made by Speech Synthesis via Web Speech API on Chrome