German court rules Suno AI music infringes copyright

A German court has ruled that the artificial intelligence music generator Suno infringed copyrights by using protected songs to train its system without permission, delivering a significant legal victory to music creators and setting a major precedent in Europe. The Munich Regional Court issued its decision on July 31, 2026, finding that the U.S.-based company had no right to process compositions represented by Germany's licensing society, GEMA.

The court determined that Suno's AI model had memorized and reproduced specific songs, including well-known tracks such as "Forever Young," "Mambo No. 5," and "Daddy Cool." As a remedy, the court ordered Suno to disclose information about revenue generated from the infringement so that financial damages can be calculated, though the exact amount has not yet been set. The first-instance ruling is enforceable immediately under German law, even while an appeal is pending, allowing GEMA to potentially seek injunctions against Suno's European operations.

GEMA's CEO, Tobias Holzmüller, stated that the ruling clarifies that AI models based on the theft of intellectual property are not protected by law. He emphasized that AI providers must...