German Court Rules Against Music AI platform Suno in Latest AI Copyright Case

A German court has delivered another significant judgment in the growing body of AI copyright litigation, ruling against AI music company Suno in a case concerning the unauthorised use of musical compositions. The decision follows the court’s November 2025 ruling involving OpenAI and song lyrics and further develops the legal framework governing the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI systems. 

According to the court’s press release, the judges found that Suno made unauthorised reproductions of protected musical works during the training of its AI model. The court relied on evidence of system memorisation and concluded that the model was capable of reproducing recognisable portions of copyrighted compositions in response to open-ended prompts, supporting a finding of copyright infringement. The court also noted that the training data had been sourced through stream-ripping and the circumvention of technological protection measures. 

The judgment rejects Suno’s reliance on Germany’s text and data mining exception, which implements the EU’s Digital Single Market Directive. The court held that the exception was unavailable because the training process involved copying entire creative works rather than extracts or data suitable for text and data mining. It also rejected the company’s attempt to invoke the US fair use doctrine in relation to training activities conducted in Germany. 

In doing so, the court departed from the reasoning adopted in the California AI copyright decisions issued in July 2025, concluding that Suno’s use of the works was not sufficiently transformative and that it adversely affected the commercial market for human creators. The decision therefore highlights the continuing divergence between US and European approaches to AI training and copyright, with European courts appearing less willing to extend copyright exceptions to the wholesale use of protected creative works. 

For the music industry and the wider creative sector, the ruling represents a notable development in the evolving legal landscape. It also contrasts with the approach previously taken by the Hamburg Regional Court, underlining that judicial consensus has yet to emerge even within Germany. The judgment comes as AI copyright disputes continue to progress through the courts in the UK, India and other jurisdictions, where many of the same questions surrounding AI training, copyright exceptions and market harm remain unresolved. 

Speaking on the court decision, MPA Chief Executive Paul Clements said:  

“We welcome GEMA’s court victory in its legal dispute with the US AI music platform Suno. Today’s ruling by the Munich Regional Court sends an important message, one that the MPA has consistently conveyed to the UK Government and the wider AI sector: using copyrighted works without authorisation is not innovation, it’s theft. 

We have long advocated that AI technology companies must seek permission and obtain the necessary licences before exploiting rightsholders’ copyrighted works. Yet, we know that meaningful engagement with the creative industries has too often been avoided by many AI companies. We hope today’s ruling serves as a clear reminder that AI companies must work within the laws of copyright, not around them. Respect for copyright, transparency, and licensing are essential foundations for responsible AI innovation.“