How to Strengthen Your Human Authorship Claims

If your evaluation shows weak human authorship evidence, here are specific strategies to improve your copyright case.

Understanding the Problem

Weak human authorship claims typically result from:

• Vague or generic descriptions of your work
• Insufficient detail about creative decisions
• Overemphasis on AI capabilities vs. your contributions
• Missing the "why" behind your creative choices
• Lack of evidence for creative control and vision

The STAR Method for Describing Contributions

Use this framework to strengthen any contribution description:

S - Situation

What was the creative challenge or goal?

T - Task

What did you need to accomplish?

A - Action

What specific actions did you take?

R - Result

What was the outcome of your work?

Example Transformation:

Weak: "I edited the lyrics."

Strong using STAR: "The AI-generated lyrics felt too generic for my intended melancholic tone (Situation). I needed to inject more personal, emotional language (Task). I rewrote the entire chorus, changed 12 specific words in verses to more evocative alternatives, and restructured the bridge to build tension (Action). The final lyrics now convey the intimate, vulnerable feeling I was aiming for (Result)."

Strategy 1: Add Specific Details

Transform Vague Into Specific

Action Items:

• Count and quantify your work ("edited 3 verses" not "edited lyrics")
• Name specific tools and techniques
• Describe what changed from before to after
• Include time spent or iterations performed

Strategy 2: Explain Creative Reasoning

Add the "Why" Behind Every "What"

Don't just describe actions—explain your creative thinking:

Action Items:

• For every action, add "because" or "in order to"
• Connect decisions to artistic goals
• Explain how choices serve the song's message
• Show intentional creative vision

Strategy 3: Document Your Creative Process

Show Iteration and Refinement

Strong applications demonstrate evolution and refinement:

Version 1 → Version 2 → Version 3 Approach

Example:

"My creative process involved multiple iterations:

Initial generation: AI produced a generic pop track with predictable structure. The melody was catchy but felt too commercial for my artistic vision.

Second iteration: I prompted for indie-folk aesthetic with acoustic instruments. This was closer but lacked emotional depth I was seeking.

Third iteration: I combined elements from both versions—kept the memorable melody from version 1 but wrapped it in the intimate production style of version 2. I then manually edited the arrangement to create dynamic contrast.

Final refinement: Added my own vocal performance with intentional imperfections to enhance authenticity. Mixed with emphasis on space and subtlety rather than loudness."

Action Items:

• Document how many versions or attempts you created
• Explain what you learned from each iteration
• Show how you refined toward your creative vision
• Demonstrate thoughtful curation and selection

Strategy 4: Demonstrate Creative Control

Show You Directed the AI, Not Vice Versa

Transform passive descriptions into active creative control:

Action Items:

• Use active voice ("I directed" not "AI created")
• Show selection and curation decisions
• Demonstrate pre-planned vision vs. accepting output
• Prove you had specific goals the AI helped achieve

Strategy 5: Connect to Your Artistic Vision

Frame Everything Within Your Creative Intent

Every technical action should connect to your artistic purpose:

Weak approach: List technical actions without context

Strong approach: Frame as "In service of [artistic goal], I [technical action]"

Example:

"My artistic vision was to create an intimate, bedroom-pop track that felt like a late-night confession. In service of this vision:

• I kept the production intentionally sparse and minimal
• I recorded vocals with close-mic technique to create whispered intimacy
• I left in small imperfections (breath sounds, subtle pitch variations) that enhance authenticity
• I mixed with emphasis on proximity and warmth rather than polish and distance
• I selected AI elements that felt lo-fi and understated rather than produced

Every decision reinforced the intimate, confessional mood I envisioned."

Action Items:

• Define your artistic vision clearly
• Show how every choice supports that vision
• Demonstrate coherent creative thread throughout
• Prove intentionality rather than randomness

Strategy 6: Expand Single-Area Contributions

If You Only Claimed One Area

Stronger applications show involvement across multiple contribution types. Consider if you actually did work in other areas that you didn't initially document:

Already Claimed Prompting? Also Document:

• Post-generation editing of audio
• Arrangement or structure decisions
• Selection and curation of AI outputs
• Quality control and refinement

Already Claimed Lyrics? Also Document:

• Musical arrangement decisions
• Vocal performance or direction
• Production and mixing choices

Already Claimed Production? Also Document:

• Creative direction given to AI
• Lyrical or musical editing
• Artistic vision and intent

Strategy 7: Provide Before/After Examples

Show Transformation

Concrete before/after examples prove your creative impact:

Example - Lyrics:

"Original AI lyric: 'I'm feeling sad today, everything is gray'

My revision: 'Colors drain like water down a rusted pipe, pooling at my feet in monochrome'

This transformation shows my poetic voice—using concrete imagery and metaphor rather than stating emotions directly."

Example - Structure:

"AI generated structure: Intro-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus-Outro

My restructure: Intro-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Bridge-Chorus-Outro

I removed the repetitive second verse-chorus sequence and moved the bridge earlier to create better narrative pacing and maintain listener interest."

Action Items:

• Quote specific before/after examples
• Explain why you made each change
• Show your creative fingerprint in the transformation

Strategy 8: Address Common Weaknesses

If Your Score Is Low In Human Creative Control:

• Add more about your artistic vision and intent
• Show strategic thinking in your prompting process
• Demonstrate selection and curation decisions
• Explain creative reasoning behind all choices
• Prove you directed the AI toward your pre-planned vision

If Your Score Is Low In Technical Evidence:

• Add specific details about post-AI work
• Name tools, techniques, and settings used
• Quantify your modifications ("edited 8 sections")
• Document production and mixing decisions
• Show technical skill and knowledge

If Your Score Is Low In Copyright Compliance:

• Clearly identify what was AI-generated
• Use proper terminology ("human authorship," "creative contributions")
• Separate your work from AI's work explicitly
• Ensure complete materials checklist
• Structure narrative clearly and professionally

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Don't Exaggerate

Strengthening doesn't mean lying. Only claim work you actually performed.

Don't Overemphasize AI

Keep focus on YOUR contributions, not AI capabilities.

Don't Use Vague Superlatives

"I made it much better" tells the Copyright Office nothing. Show specific improvements.

Don't Forget the Creative Side

Technical work alone isn't enough—explain artistic intent.

Refinement Checklist

Before re-evaluating, ensure you've:

• ☐ Added specific, quantifiable details to all descriptions
• ☐ Explained creative reasoning behind every action
• ☐ Documented iteration and refinement process
• ☐ Demonstrated active creative control
• ☐ Connected all work to artistic vision
• ☐ Provided before/after examples where possible
• ☐ Documented work across multiple contribution areas
• ☐ Shown transformation, not just description
• ☐ Proven intentionality and creative decision-making
• ☐ Maintained honesty about actual involvement

Example: Complete Transformation

Original Weak Narrative:

"I used Suno to make a song. I entered some prompts and got a good result. I did some editing in my DAW and made it sound better. I think it's ready for copyright."

Score: 32/100 (Approval Unlikely)

Strengthened Narrative:

"My artistic vision was to create an introspective indie-folk track exploring themes of seasonal change as metaphor for personal growth.

Prompting strategy: I developed 18 iterative prompts over 3 days, refining from generic 'sad folk song' to specific musical and production direction: 'melancholic indie folk, fingerpicked acoustic guitar in DADGAD tuning, sparse brush drums, intimate close-mic vocals, tempo 78 BPM, verse-chorus-bridge structure.'

Curation process: Generated 12 complete variations, selected 3 with strongest emotional resonance to my vision, and identified the best musical moments from each.

Post-AI editing: In Logic Pro, I edited the selected generation extensively: - Restructured from repetitive verse-chorus-verse-chorus to verse-chorus-bridge-chorus for better narrative arc - Cut 22 seconds from the bridge to tighten pacing - Removed percussion from first verse to create intimate opening - Extended final chorus by 8 bars for emotional resolution Production work: Mixed with emphasis on intimacy: - Recorded replacement vocal track with intentional proximity effect - Applied subtle tape saturation for warmth - EQ'd acoustic guitar to emphasize fingerpicking detail (2.5kHz boost) - Added spring reverb with 1.2s decay for space without distance - Mastered to -14 LUFS to prioritize dynamics over loudness Lyrical refinement: Rewrote the entire second verse and modified 8 specific phrases throughout to enhance metaphor consistency and poetic voice. The final track authentically expresses my artistic vision—intimate, seasonal reflection rendered through intentionally minimal production that foregrounds emotional honesty over technical perfection."

Score after refinement: 84/100 (Strong Case)

Ready to Strengthen Your Narrative?

Use these strategies to refine your assessment. Remember:

• Be specific and detailed
• Explain creative reasoning
• Show your artistic vision
• Document iteration and refinement
• Remain honest about your actual work

You can refine unlimited times for 30 days. Use this period to build the strongest possible case for your copyright.

Need personalized help? Contact our support team for guidance on your specific situation.