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German court finds Suno’s AI music training infringed copyright

Published
Score
22

Why it matters

Munich Regional Court ruled on July 31 that Suno, a U.S.-based AI music company, violated German copyright law by training its generative model on protected songs without permission or compensation. The court ordered Suno to disclose revenue information tied to the infringing activity. Damages remain to be calculated in a separate proceeding. The case was brought by GEMA, Germany's state-mandated music licensing agency, which filed suit in January 2025 and presented arguments at a public hearing in March 2026.

Suno has indicated it intends to appeal the ruling. The full scope of the court's reasoning and any interim measures pending appeal are not yet detailed in public filings.

This is one of Europe's first binding judicial decisions on whether AI companies can train generative models on copyrighted music without licenses. The ruling will likely influence how AI music firms approach licensing negotiations across the EU and may increase litigation risk for companies that have adopted similar training practices. Rights holders in other jurisdictions will watch closely to see whether the decision survives appeal and how damages are ultimately assessed.

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