Munich court finds Suno infringed copyright, orders income disclosure
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A Munich regional court ruled that US-based AI music generator Suno infringed copyright and must disclose income details, in a lawsuit brought by German collecting society GEMA. The court ordered Suno to pay compensation, the amount yet to be determined. The decision is seen as a landmark for AI copyright, even as Suno disputes the court's jurisdiction and considers an appeal.
The Court Ruling
The Munich Regional Court found that Suno trained its AI models on copyrighted music without obtaining licenses or compensating rightsholders. The company is ordered to disclose income details and will pay damages, the sum yet to be determined. Suno rejected the verdict and said it would explore all options, including appeal. GEMA represents over 95,000 composers, songwriters and publishers in Germany, plus more than 2 million rightsholders worldwide.
The Legal Precedent
The case is closely watched globally as one of the first major tests of how copyright law applies to AI music training. Suno argued the German court lacks jurisdiction because training occurred solely in the US. The ruling may determine whether AI music services must license works used for training. It builds on a similar GEMA win against OpenAI last year concerning song lyrics, though this case also covers full musical works.
Rights Campaign
GEMA CEO Tobias Holzmueller stated the goal is not to eliminate Suno but to initiate full licensing negotiations. Amsterdam Law School professor Martin Senftleben noted that a collecting society's involvement broadens the scope, ensuring compensation for a wider range of creators. The verdict is expected to pressure other AI developers to seek licences.
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