What happened

GEMA filed a lawsuit against Suno AI in the Munich Regional Court, claiming that the AI music generator produces content that is "confusingly similar" to original songs and has used the content without proper authorisation or compensation to the original creators. 

GEMA alleges that Suno has used its extensive catalogue of copyrighted works to train its AI system, resulting in audio outputs that closely mimic established tracks in terms of melody, harmony and rhythm.

Why it happened

Copying copyrighted music has become very easy due to a combination of technological, legal and cultural factors, including the availability at little or no cost of file-sharing platforms and peer-to-peer networks, which have facilitated unauthorised distribution of copyrighted music, bypassing traditional licensing processes. 

In addition, copyright law often relies on subjective assessments of whether a "substantial part" of a song has been copied, which can lead to confusion about what constitutes infringement.

Furthermore, legal tests for copyright infringement are complex and inconsistently applied, leaving room for disputes over whether elements such as melodies, lyrics, or even the "feel" of a song are protectable.

 Both legal grey areas have been systemically exploited by the AI industry.