AI
Sony sues Udio again over 30,000 copyrighted songs used in AI training
After a judge blocked Sony's first attempt to expand its copyright case, the label has filed a new lawsuit targeting over 30,000 recordings allegedly ingested into Udio's generative AI models.
The Verge
Sony Music Entertainment has launched a fresh legal challenge against Udio, an AI music generation platform, alleging the company unlawfully used more than 30,000 of its copyrighted recordings to train its generative AI system. The artists on Sony's list include Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Elvis Presley, and Britney Spears, among thousands of others.
A second attempt at a larger case#
The new lawsuit, filed in a New York court, represents Sony's workaround after a judge earlier rejected its bid to expand an existing 2024 case against Udio. Initially, Sony—alongside Universal Music Group and Warner Records—had sued Udio and competitor Suno for copyright violations. When Sony sought to add the 30,000 songs to that original suit through discovery of Udio's training data, the court declined the motion, keeping the initial claim at 333 works. Sony has now filed these additional allegations in a separate action and indicates the list could grow further.
How Sony identified the songs#
Sony used an "audio fingerprinting" technique to match its copyrighted works within Udio's training datasets after gaining access during the discovery process. The company contends these recordings were "copied and ingested" into Udio's models without authorization, pointing to Udio's own admission that its AI was "constructed by showing the program a vast amount of different kinds of sound recordings," including material sourced from YouTube.
What Sony is seeking#
The filing requests that courts bar Udio from further use of Sony's works and seeks damages of up to $150,000 per infringed recording—potentially adding up to billions if all 30,000 works are found to violate copyright.
Shifting industry dynamics#
Sony's persistent legal action contrasts sharply with recent industry developments. Both Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have already struck licensing and partnership agreements with Udio, signaling a shift toward negotiated coexistence with AI music tools rather than outright prohibition.
