Munich Court Rules AI Models Trained on Unlicensed Music Lack Legal Protection in GEMA vs. Suno Case

The German music rights society GEMA has achieved a pivotal legal victory against AI music generator Suno, after a regional court in Munich found that Suno had unlawfully trained its artificial intelligence models using music represented by GEMA without obtaining the necessary licenses or compensating rights holders.

Among the copyrighted works involved were iconic tracks such as Alphaville’s "Forever Young" and Boney M’s "Daddy Cool." The court determined that Suno’s use of these songs infringed upon both German and United States copyright laws, underscoring the cross-jurisdictional implications of the case.

This ruling carries substantial weight for the music and AI industries, establishing that AI developers must secure licenses for any music within GEMA’s extensive repertoire before incorporating it into their training datasets. The decision also sets a legal precedent that could influence collective management organizations across the European Union and in the United States.

While the court has mandated that Suno pay damages to GEMA, the exact amount remains to be decided. Suno has publicly expressed its disagreement with the verdict, stating: "We disagree with today’s ruling – which rests on a fundamental mischaracterisation of how Suno’s technology works, how it is used and how U.S. law applies – and are evaluating all available options, including an appeal."

GEMA’s CEO, Dr. Tobias Holzmüller, emphasized the significance of the ruling in a statement to Reuters: "Today, the Chamber made one thing crystal clear: AI models built on stolen intellectual property have no protection under the law. AI service providers must pay for licenses rather than helping themselves to our members’ works free of charge. Today, the court’s verdict has significantly strengthened Europe’s position as a cultural centre."

Adding to this, GEMA board member Dr. Ralf Weigand remarked: "Through this decision, GEMA has set an important precedent not only for its more than 100,000 members, but for creators worldwide. The fact that we can now enforce our rights in countries including the United States gives creators hope and confidence at a time of profound technological transformation."

The ruling follows GEMA’s prior success last November against OpenAI, where the society accused the tech firm of infringing German copyright law by using copyrighted lyrics to train ChatGPT. However, the current judgment is considered more consequential as it directly pertains to GEMA’s core business of licensing playable music.

The outcome may also impact other ongoing legal battles involving Suno, including lawsuits filed by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment in 2024, which allege "mass infringement" of copyrights by Suno and its competitor Udio. Additionally, the Danish collecting society Koda has initiated separate claims against Suno.

The UK’s Performing Rights Society (PRS) publicly welcomed the Munich court’s decision, highlighting the importance of protecting music creators’ rights in the evolving digital landscape.

This ruling marks a critical juncture in the intersection of intellectual property law and artificial intelligence, reinforcing that unauthorized use of copyrighted material in AI training datasets will not be shielded from legal accountability. It signals to AI developers worldwide that respecting licensing frameworks is essential to lawful innovation in music technology.

Beth Simpson, a freelance music expert and author, has contributed insights into the evolving relationship between music rights and technology. Her work has appeared in publications such as Classic Rock and Classic Pop, underscoring the broader cultural significance of these legal developments.