Sony Music Sues Udio Again Over AI Training Data

Sony Music Entertainment filed a second lawsuit against AI music generator Udio this week, alleging the startup illegally copied more than 30,000 songs to train its artificial intelligence models. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claims Udio used works from artists including Beyoncé, Harry Styles, and Elvis Presley without authorization. This marks Sony Music's second legal action against Udio, following an initial lawsuit filed in June 2024, which also named competitor Suno. The music giant, alongside Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, is seeking damages and an injunction to prevent further infringement. Sony's legal team asserts that Udio's AI models are trained on vast datasets that include copyrighted material, enabling the generation of new music that potentially competes with or devalues the original artists' work. The lawsuit details allegations of unauthorized reproduction and distribution of musical compositions and sound recordings. Sony Music is seeking a jury trial to resolve the claims of copyright infringement. The company has been vocal about its stance on AI's use of copyrighted music, emphasizing the need for proper licensing and compensation for artists and rights holders. This renewed legal challenge underscores the ongoing tension between AI development and intellectual property rights within the music industry.