Several weeks after being sued for copyright infringement, AI music startups Suno and Udio are now accusing the record labels that filed the lawsuits of trying to stifle competition in the music industry. Both companies admit to training their AI models on copyrighted materials, arguing it’s lawful under fair-use doctrine.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sued Suno and Udio in June, claiming they’re committing massive copyright infringement by copying sound recordings without permission. The RIAA is seeking damages up to $150,000 per work infringed.
Suno and Udio say their AI tools allow users to create songs by typing descriptions. Some of these tracks contain vocals that sound identical to famous artists like Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and ABBA.
In response, both companies argue the lawsuits highlight the music industry’s opposition to competition. Udio says, “What we’ve done – using existing recordings as data to analyze patterns in sounds – is a quintessential ‘fair use’ under copyright law.”
Suno also argues that major record labels have misconceptions about how its AI tools work, likening it to a kid learning to write new rock songs by listening to rock music. Suno admits training its model on online music and notes that other AI providers source their data from the open internet.
Both companies emphasize that “learning is not infringing.” They claim that using copyrighted materials for training purposes is lawful under fair-use doctrine.
The RIAA disagrees, saying the companies failed to obtain consent to use copyrighted works before launching their tools. The organization claims these actions are unfair and harm artists’ ability to earn a living from their work.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/2/24211842/ai-music-riaa-copyright-lawsuit-suno-udio-fair-use