World’s biggest music labels sue over AI copyright

The world’s biggest record labels are suing two artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups over alleged copyright violation in a potentially landmark case.

Firms including Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Records say Suno and Udio have committed copyright infringement on an “almost unimaginable scale”.

They claim the pair’s software steals music to “spit out” similar work and ask for compensation of $150,000 (£118,200) per work.

Suno did not respond to a request for comment. Udio said in a blog post on Tuesday it was “completely uninterested in reproducing content”.

The lawsuits, announced on Monday by the Recording Industry Association of America, are part of a wave of lawsuits from authors, news organisations and other groups that are challenging the rights of AI firms to use their work.

Suno, which is based in Massachusetts, released its first product last year and claims more than 10 million people have used its tool to make music.

The company, which has a partnership with Microsoft, charges a monthly fee for its service and recently announced it had raised $125m from investors.

New York-based Udio, known as Uncharted Labs, is backed by high-profile venture capital investors such as Andreessen Horowitz.

It released its app to the public in April, achieving near-instant fame for being the tool used to create “BBL Drizzy” – a parody track related to the feud between the artists Kendrick Lamar and Drake. – bbc.com