Sony Music and Universal Music Group filed a new lawsuit against AI music startup Suno, claiming its latest model infringes copyright because it was built on a previously infringing model.
The lawsuit marks an escalation in the ongoing legal battle between major record labels and the generative AI music platform. Sony and UMG allege that Suno's new model, developed in partnership with Warner Music Group and Broken Manga Group, is fundamentally compromised by its foundation in code that already violates copyright law.
This approach differs from traditional infringement claims. Rather than alleging direct copying of protected works, the labels argue that Suno's entire architecture is tainted—suggesting that any output derived from the infringing base model constitutes copyright violation.
The partnership between Suno and WMG/BMG represented a significant shift for the startup. Unlike Sony and UMG, which have pursued legal action, the other two major labels attempted to license their catalogs to the AI company. That collaboration apparently failed to satisfy Sony and UMG's legal concerns.
Sono and UMG previously sued Suno in June 2024, claiming the platform trained on millions of copyrighted songs without permission. The new suit suggests the labels believe Suno's attempts to create a licensed model don't adequately address underlying legal issues stemming from its original development.
The case raises complex questions about liability in AI development. If courts accept the "tainted source" theory, it could establish precedent affecting how AI companies must handle previous training data when developing new versions of their models.
Suno has positioned itself as a democratizing force in music creation, allowing users to generate original songs through text prompts. The company has argued that its use of copyrighted material falls within fair use protections for transformative AI training.
The outcome could significantly impact the AI music generation sector, potentially requiring companies to either secure broader licenses upfront or face liability for models built on unlicensed training data. No court date has been announced.
The FCC has approved Gulf state wealth funds acquiring nearly 50% ownership of the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. entertainment company. The decision clears a major regulatory hurdle for the deal.
AI hardware imports drove August price increases at the US border, with investment in the sector playing a key supporting role in the economy, according to Apollo Global Management's chief economist Torsten Slok.
Amsted Industries is exploring a potential sale of Baltimore Aircoil Co., a cooling system provider, as surging demand for data center infrastructure attracts buyers to the market.
The FCC under Brendan Carr has approved three sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi to collectively own 49.5 percent of Paramount, effectively waiving its 25 percent foreign equity cap.