Germany's music rights organization GEMA has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against AI music platform Suno in the Munich Regional Court. This action follows GEMA's previous lawsuit against OpenAI and the introduction of their "AI Charter" for generative AI licensing.

The lawsuit alleges that Suno used GEMA-represented works for AI training without proper compensation. Specifically, GEMA claims Suno's platform creates "confusingly similar" content to original songs, including famous works like Alphaville's "Forever Young" and Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5."

Key points of the lawsuit:

• Suno allegedly used copyrighted works for AI training without payment
• The platform allows users to generate songs that closely mimic existing works
• GEMA documented outputs that allegedly infringe on copyrighted material
• The case focuses on both training data usage and derivative works

GEMA's supervisory board chairman Ralf Weigand warns that without proper legal frameworks ensuring fair compensation for creators, the future of human-made music could be at risk.

This legal action is part of a broader trend, as Suno faces similar copyright infringement lawsuits in the United States from major record labels. The company has retained Latham & Watkins for legal representation and maintains a fair use defense for their AI training practices.

The case's outcome in Germany could significantly impact how generative AI companies handle music rights and compensation in the future.

Status of similar cases:

• GEMA vs OpenAI lawsuit is ongoing
• U.S. major labels' lawsuit against Suno continues
• A confidentiality order for discovery materials has been approved
• The legal battle over AI music generation continues to evolve

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