Major Labels Sue Suno Again Over AI Music Training Practices
Sony Music and Universal Music Group have escalated their legal battle with AI music startup Suno by filing a new lawsuit targeting its latest v6 model. The major labels, which notably declined to sign licensing agreements with Suno, allege that the company's newest AI system remains infringing because it was trained on outputs generated by earlier models—outputs that originated from music unlawfully scraped from YouTube and other sources.
In their complaint, the labels introduce the term "model laundering" to describe Suno's training approach. According to the theory behind the lawsuit, simply retraining on the outputs of an infringing model does not cleanse the resulting system of copyright infringement. Instead, the plaintiffs argue, it merely obscures the origin of the copied material while still extracting value from their members' creative works.
The case highlights a contentious standoff in the evolving AI music landscape. While some rights holders have negotiated licensing deals with AI companies, Sony and UMG have taken a harder line, pursuing litigation rather than partnerships. Suno's v6 model, despite whatever improvements it may offer, has apparently not satisfied the labels' concerns about the provenance of its training data.
The lawsuit raises broader questions about how AI companies can demonstrate legitimate training practices and whether retraining on previously generated outputs can ever constitute fair use or independent creation in the eyes of copyright law.