UMG and Sony Sue AI Music Platform Suno Over v6 Model Copyrights
- According to Variety, the complaint alleges that Suno's admission that its v6 family of models trained on outputs from previous models means the infringement was not eliminated.
- The lawsuit comes more than two years after Sony Music, UMG, and Warner Music Group initially sued Suno in June 2024 for allegedly training its AI models on...
- UMG and Sony argue that Suno developed v6 using knowledge distillation and related model-transfer techniques, meaning the new student model inherits the value of the copyrighted recordings used...
Details of the New Lawsuit Against Suno
According to Variety, the complaint alleges that Suno’s admission that its v6 family of models trained on outputs from previous models means the infringement was not eliminated. The labels claimed in the court filing that training a new model on the outputs of an infringing model launders it rather than providing a fresh start, calling v6 the fruit of the same poisoned tree.
The lawsuit comes more than two years after Sony Music, UMG, and Warner Music Group initially sued Suno in June 2024 for allegedly training its AI models on copyrighted tracks without permission. While Warner Music Group has since settled and partnered with Suno, Sony Music and UMG are moving forward with the fresh litigation. The new complaint specifies that Sony Music and UMG allege Suno infringed on 60,202 recordings since the platform’s debut, a total the labels stated represents only a small portion of the overall works violated.
Model Training Techniques and Industry Partnerships
UMG and Sony argue that Suno developed v6 using knowledge distillation and related model-transfer techniques, meaning the new student model inherits the value of the copyrighted recordings used in the predecessor teacher models.
Suno launched its v6 models in September, marketing them as the company’s first models trained on licensed music through partnerships with Warner Music Group, BMG, and Believe. Suno CEO Mikey Shulman described the collaborations in a Billboard interview as a blueprint for how AI and the music industry can strengthen one another. However, Sony and UMG contend that because the new models are partially built on user outputs derived from former unlicensed models, every model Suno has released remains tied to unauthorized copying.
v6 was trained on content licensed from our partners, interactions including creations and preference signals from our community, and the accumulated learnings from our team.
Suno spokesperson via Variety
A Suno spokesperson told Variety that the labels’ claims are fundamentally flawed on both facts and the law. The spokesperson added that the platform pulls musical qualities when a user inputs an artist’s name so people can learn the language of music rather than imitate specific works.
Broader Legal Challenges Facing the AI Platform
Beyond the litigation from Sony Music and UMG, Suno faces additional legal pressure from other corners of the music industry.
In their latest complaint, Sony Music and UMG also argue that Suno contributes to market over-saturation on streaming services by generating waves of tracks that compete with and drown out genuine sound recordings. The ongoing litigation highlights the persistent legal friction between major record labels and generative AI startups regarding copyright and model training practices.