Sony Music Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Udio, alleging that the AI music generator infringed on the copyrights of over 30,000 songs, including tracks by Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Johnny Cash, and Harry Styles. The lawsuit, submitted to a New York court on Monday, states that these songs are just a fraction of the works Udio has allegedly infringed, according to Music Business Worldwide.
Legal Battle History
In 2024, Sony, along with Universal Music Group and Warner Records, initiated legal proceedings against Udio and Suno, another AI music-maker. Post-discovery, Sony claims to have identified additional infringements using an “audio fingerprinting” technique, leading to the current expanded lawsuit.
Scope of the Lawsuit
Sony's initial request to incorporate these additional songs into their existing lawsuit was rejected by a judge, limiting the original lawsuit to 333 works. This new legal filing brings those 30,000 songs into focus and could potentially expand further.
Industry Reactions
While Sony pursues this legal route, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have settled with Udio, choosing instead to partner with the company. This move highlights the industry’s broader embrace of AI technology despite ongoing copyright issues.
Consequences and Demands
Sony is seeking to prevent Udio from further infringing its works and is requesting damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work. The detailed list of songs involved in this legal battle is available in the court filing.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/968375/sony-udio-lawsuit-songs-ai-copyright
