German court rules AI music firm Suno violated copyright

A Munich regional court ruled on Friday that AI music startup Suno violated copyright law by processing copyrighted music without authorization, ordering the company to disclose revenues tied to the infringing activity. The decision marks one of Europe's first binding rulings on AI music copyright and could reshape how generative AI companies handle protected creative works.thestar+1

The Ruling

The Munich Regional Court found that Suno did not have the right to process music by artists represented by Gema, Germany's state-mandated licensing agency that represents more than 95,000 songwriters and two million rights holders worldwide. The case centered on six copyrighted compositions that the court determined Suno had copied and internalized during AI model training.globalbankingandfinance+3

Under the verdict, which can be appealed, Suno must provide information on illicit revenues to allow calculation of damages that have yet to be quantified. German musician Peter Maffay attended the trial in Munich.thestar

Broader Context

The ruling follows a November 2025 decision by the same Munich court that found OpenAI's ChatGPT violated copyright by reproducing German song lyrics without permission. Gema filed the Suno lawsuit in January 2025, arguing the Massachusetts-based company trained its AI models on copyrighted music without obtaining licenses or compensating creators.mlex+2

Suno, valued at $5.4 billion following a June funding round, allows users to generate songs via text prompts. Gema alleged that Suno's tool produces outputs resembling well-known songs including "Atemlos," "Daddy Cool," "Mambo No. 5," and "Cheri Cheri Lady" in melody, harmony, and rhythm.diebayern+1

Industry Implications

The decision arrives amid a wave of litigation against AI music companies globally. More than 1,800 artists are supporting class-action lawsuits against Suno and peer Udio in the United States, where a court is examining whether Suno must pay up to $9.1 billion in damages for over 61,000 identified songs. Last year, Udio settled copyright cases with Universal Music Group ↘ 6.52% and Warner Music Group ↘ 5.62%, while Suno reached a separate settlement with Warner Music Group.instagram+1

Gema could potentially seek an injunction across Germany and Europe pending appeal, a move that would further pressure AI platforms to secure licensing agreements before training on protected catalogs.instagram+1