After Victory over OpenAI, GEMA Sues AI Music Generator Suno in Court

After a successful lawsuit against OpenAI in November 2025, GEMA has now taken US-based AI company Suno to court. The Munich Regional Court I ruled on July 31, 2026, that Suno had reproduced protected musical works without permission for its AI-based music generator. The ban covers six musical pieces, including "Atemlos", "Big in Japan", and "Daddy Cool", and also applies to using these works in AI training. Suno denied that the works are stored in its AI model, arguing that such models contain mathematical parameters derived from large datasets during training. The company also cited the US Fair Use doctrine and challenged the jurisdiction of the German court. GEMA had tested Suno's generator by providing only the text, title, and style of the six songs without specifying melody or arrangement, and claimed the AI-generated results closely resembled the originals. The judgment is not yet final, and the amount of damages to be paid to GEMA has not been decided. Suno intends to examine its options, including appeal. Observers see the decision as having a signaling effect, as other rights holders such as Universal and Sony can use it in their lawsuits against Suno. Warner Music reached a licensing agreement with Suno at the end of 2025.