AI‑music copyright fights rise

June 24, 2024: the Recording Industry Association of America filed twin federal suits on behalf of Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Records against Suno and Udio, accusing the startups of “mass infringement” for using copyrighted recordings to train their models. (riaa.com) Plaintiffs told courts the platforms ingested millions of recordings during model training and the RIAA flagged statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work as a potential calculation that could amount to billions. (bloomberg.com) Independent creators have separately filed class actions: Anthony Justice sued in Massachusetts and a coalition of Illinois indie artists (including Attack the Sound and Directrix members) alleged “stream‑ripping” from YouTube and scraping of lyrics from Genius, AZLyrics and Musixmatch. (digitalmusicnews.com) By mid‑2025 the majors moved from litigation toward deals, entering licensing talks that sought license fees plus small equity stakes in Suno and Udio, and Udio announced a settlement with Universal that forced an immediate stop to downloads and a 48‑hour window for users to retrieve past creations. (bloomberg.com) Billboard reported Udio’s post‑settlement product would become a “walled garden” where creations cannot leave the platform, while Suno’s pact with Warner requires licensed training data and will charge users for downloads under its 2026 model. (billboard.com) Courts continue to see motions and new filings — Suno moved to dismiss some claims arguing its output contains no direct samples, plaintiffs press stream‑ripping and copy‑accounting allegations, and industry legal analysts say multiple unresolved federal cases will shape whether licensed deals or courtroom rulings set the standard for AI music use. (musicbusinessworldwide.com)