Pressure mounts on AI music service Suno: new lawsuit filed

Canada’s largest music rights organisation, SOCAN, has filed a lawsuit against US tech company Suno for using copyright-protected music without permission or payment. SOCAN represents some of the world’s leading songwriters and composers, including Drake, Avril Lavigne, Joni Mitchell, The Weeknd and Leonard Cohen.

According to SOCAN, Suno uses copyright-protected musical works without permission when its service generates AI music that can be streamed directly from Suno’s own platform. Koda itself launched legal proceedings against Suno last November, suing the US AI company for using Danish music without permission or payment.

For Nicky Trebbien, Koda’s Director of Legal & Public Policy, the Canadian lawsuit demonstrates the broad international support for the fight to protect music creators’ rights:

‘Where there’s smoke, you look for the fire. And right now, the heat is on Suno. SOCAN’s lawsuit sends a clear signal. This is no longer a Danish or European debate, but a global battle over whether tech companies should be allowed to build billion-dollar businesses on other people’s music without permission or payment. Music creators around the world face the same fundamental problem: their music is being used to create enormous value for AI companies which, with unprecedented cynicism, are undermining music culture worldwide. SOCAN’s lawsuit shows that resistance is growing, and the demand is the same everywhere: respect copyright and pay for the music you use,’ says Nicky Trebbien.

Legal action alone is not enough – political action is needed

For Koda, the growing number of lawsuits against Suno also underlines the need for political action.

‘The road to a fairer future with AI should not be paved with endless lawsuits around the world. The cases against Suno make it abundantly clear just how urgently political action is needed. We need unequivocal rules making it clear that when an AI service such as Suno uses other people’s music, it must pay for it. That applies to the training itself, to making the service available in Denmark, and when AI-generated music is streamed or played on the radio. Politicians in Denmark and the EU must now force the tech giants to play by the rules and create a level playing field,’ says Nicky Trebbien.

Koda’s case against Suno to be heard by the Eastern High Court

SOCAN is the third collective rights management organisation to take Suno to court. On 31 July, Germany’s GEMA prevailed in its case against the AI service, while Koda’s case has now been referred to the Eastern High Court because it raises fundamental questions about AI and copyright that could have implications far beyond the case itself.