Photo credit: cottonbro studio
AI music generation platform Suno has suffered a major legal setback after a German court ruled that the company infringed copyright by using copyrighted music to train its AI models without permission.
The decision, handed down by the Munich Regional Court on July 31, marks one of the most significant rulings yet in the growing legal battle between AI developers and the music industry. The court found in favour of German performance rights organisation GEMA, concluding that Suno unlawfully used music from GEMA’s catalogue to develop its AI technology.
According to the ruling, Suno breached both German and U.S. copyright law by storing, reproducing and processing copyrighted musical works without obtaining the necessary licences. The court also determined that the company had no legal right to use GEMA-represented recordings for AI training.
As a result, Suno will be required to pay damages, although the final amount has yet to be determined. Reuters also reports that the company must disclose profits generated from the unauthorised use of the copyrighted material. Suno has said it disagrees with the decision and is considering an appeal.
The ruling strengthens GEMA’s position in its campaign to ensure AI developers license copyrighted works used to train commercial generative models. It also establishes that companies wishing to make systematic commercial use of GEMA’s repertoire will need to secure licences moving forward.
