AI music provider Suno prohibited from using copyrighted melodies in Germany

A German court has ruled that AI music provider Suno must cease using copyrighted melodies without proper licensing. The Munich court decided that the US-based company's use of music from composers represented by Gema, the German music rights organization, infringes on German copyright law. Presiding judge Elke Schwager stated that Suno is obligated to stop this practice and will be liable for damages, though the exact amount has yet to be determined. This ruling is not yet legally binding.

Gema had described the case as a landmark decision for Europe. Suno is recognized as a leading platform for AI-generated music, valued at over $5 billion by investors. The service allows users to create personalized music tracks. The AI application was reportedly trained using free music available on YouTube, including popular songs like "Rasputin" and "Daddy Cool" by Boney M., and "Forever Young" by Alphaville.

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The court decided that the US company may not use the melodies of the composers represented by Gema without permission.

This legal action follows a similar case brought by Gema against OpenAI, the provider of ChatGPT. In that instance, the same court ruled that ChatGPT could not use song lyrics without a license. OpenAI has appealed that decision to a higher court. The broader question of how artificial intelligence services can access copyrighted works is the subject of numerous legal proceedings in both Europe and the United States, as AI technology rapidly evolves beyond established content reproduction methods.

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The Gema had previously spoken of a landmark procedure across Europe.