German court rules AI music firm Suno broke copyright rules

A German court ruled that AI music firm Suno has violated copyrights, ordering it to provide information on illicit revenue and pay damages in a wider battle against technology firms.

German court rules AI music firm Suno broke copyright rules
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  • Country:
  • Germany

A German ​court ruled ‌on Friday that ​AI music firm Suno has violated copyrights and has to provide ‌information on illicit revenue, part of a wider legal battle by artists and publishers against technology firms.

The Munich-based ‌regional court said Suno did not have the right ‌to process the music of artists represented by Germany's state-mandated licensing agency Gema. According to the verdict, which can be appealed ⁠before ​a higher court, ⁠Suno will have to pay damages that have yet ⁠to be quantified.

Massachusetts-based Suno, valued at $5.4 billion in a June funding ​round, allows users to generate songs via prompts. In ⁠various litigation proceedings, AI music companies have been accused of failing ⁠to ​compensate composers.

More than 1,800 artists are supporting class-action lawsuits against Suno and peer Udio. Last year, ⁠Udio agreed with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group ⁠to settle ⁠copyright cases, while Suno reached a settlement with WMG.

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