AI startup argues scraping every song on the internet is 'fair use'

AI startup Suno argues scraping copyrighted songs for training AI models is fair use, despite opposition from major music labels.

: Music AI startups Udio and Suno admitted in court to scraping copyrighted songs from the Internet to train their AI models. They argue this falls under fair use, as it aids in creating new, non-infringing products. The RIAA disputes this claim, labeling the actions as industrial-scale infringement. The legal battle is expected to be intense.

Music AI startups Udio and Suno have admitted to scraping copyrighted songs from the Internet to train their AI models. In their court filing, Suno acknowledged that the training data included tens of millions of recordings, likely incorporating copyrighted material from Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Group.

Suno defends its actions by claiming that this practice falls under fair use, as the copying is part of a backend process to create non-infringing new products. They argue that the AI-generated tracks do not include samples from the original recordings, thus justifying their method of data acquisition.

The RIAA strongly opposes this defense, stating it qualifies as industrial-scale infringement and unfair competition. They emphasize that the defendants could have obtained consent like their competitors, and they criticize the evasion and misleading practices of Udio and Suno. The legal proceedings are anticipated to be highly contentious.