Sony Music, Universal Music Group And Warner Records Sue AI Startups Suno And Udio For Copyright Infringement

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which announced the lawsuits, is seeking substantial compensation of $150,000 per work allegedly infringed upon. According to the complaints, Suno and Udio utilize AI algorithms that extract digital sources containing copyrighted recordings and incorporate them into their generative models to produce music tracks. The record labels argue that these actions constitute a blatant disregard for intellectual property rights which pose a threat to the music ecosystem by undermining the creativity and economic interests of artists.

Suno, based in Massachusetts launched its AI tool last year and clams widespread adoption with over 10 million users globally and significant financial backing from investors, including a recent $125 million funding round.

In response to the allegations, Udio argued that its technology is designed to foster innovation by generating original musical outputs. It stated that it is making efforts to implement rigorous filters for preventing the replication of copyrighted works.

The question of whether AI-generated music can be protected by copyright is complex and varies depending on laws and interpretations. Generally, copyright law grants protection to original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression.

Originality: Copyright protection requires that a work be original. Meaning it must be independently created by the author and possess at least some minimal degree of creativity. There are debates about whether AI-generated works can meet this criterion, especially if they are entirely created by algorithms without direct human intervention.

Human Authorship: Many copyright laws attribute authorship to human creators. For AI-generated works, identifying a human author who exercises creative judgment and control over the final output can be challenging.

Ownership: Copyright ownership usually vests initially with the creator of the work. In the case of AI-generated music, it is important to determine ownership. It may involve understanding who provided the initial inputs (e.g., data, algorithms) and who controls the AI system generating the music.

Read more about AI and Copyright: https://www.livelaw.in/law-firms/law-firm-articles-/artificial-intelligence-intellectual-property-indian-copyright-act-singhania-co-llp-238401

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