UMG Recordings Inc v Suno Inc

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UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Suno, Inc. (Case No. 1:24-cv-11716, D. Mass.) is a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group on June 24, 2024, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging Suno used copyrighted sound recordings to train its AI music generation models.<ref name="dynamo">Dynamoi: AI Music Copyright Cases Timeline</ref>

Background

Suno Inc. operates an AI music generation platform that creates songs from text prompts. On June 24, 2024, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on behalf of UMG, Sony, and Warner, filed suit against Suno for copyright infringement, claiming the company trained its models on vast quantities of copyrighted music without authorization.<ref name="dynamo" />

Suno filed a fair use defense answer on August 1, 2024.<ref name="dynamo" />

Allegations

The plaintiffs allege:

  • Suno copied copyrighted sound recordings to train its AI models
  • The company produced AI-generated music that competes with human-recorded works
  • Suno actively sought to train on the major labels' catalogs

Partial Settlement Status

While Warner Music Group settled with Suno in November 2025, UMG and Sony's litigation against Suno remains active as of April 2026:<ref name="dmn-settlement">Digital Music News: Suno and Universal Hit Settlement Impasse Over Fees and Equity</ref>

  • WMG-Suno Settlement (November 25, 2025): Warner Music and Suno announced a partnership settling the lawsuit. Suno retired all unlicensed models and launched new Warner-licensed models. Financial and equity terms were undisclosed. Free users lost downloads; paid users face caps.<ref name="techcrunch">TechCrunch: Warner Music Signs Deal With AI Music Startup Suno</ref>
  • UMG/Sony v. Suno — Still Active: As of April 2026, UMG and Sony are seeking details of the Warner-Suno deal amid a continuing lawsuit. UMG and Sony have hit a settlement impasse with Suno over fees and equity terms.<ref name="dmn-settlement" /><ref name="dmn-latest">Digital Music News: Suno and Universal Music Lawsuit — Latest Updates</ref>

Procedural History

  • June 24, 2024: Complaint filed<ref name="dynamo" />
  • August 1, 2024: Suno files fair use defense answer<ref name="dynamo" />
  • November 18, 2024: Hearing before Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson<ref name="dynamo" />
  • December 2024: Discovery established; January 2025: Source code protocol in Suno case<ref name="dynamo" />
  • November 25, 2025: Warner Music settles with Suno<ref name="techcrunch" />
  • December 24, 2025: New protective order in UMG v. Suno<ref name="dynamo" />
  • April 6, 2026: Magistrate Judge issues order on discovery disputes — Suno's requests to add Sony/UMG executives (Rob Stringer, Lucian Grainge) as custodians denied for lack of substantial need; plaintiffs' requests to expand Suno's collection dates to January 1, 2022, and add custodians including Helena Caldwell granted in part.<ref name="casemine">Casemine: UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Suno, Inc. — Magistrate Order on Discovery Disputes, April 6, 2026</ref>
  • April 23, 2026: Parties submit dueling letters on Judge Hellerstein's denial of a motion to dismiss DMCA claims in the related Sony Music Entertainment v. Uncharted Labs (Udio) case, with Suno challenging the analysis while plaintiffs argue it supports their claims.<ref name="chatgptiseating">ChatGPTIsEatingTheWorld: Parties in UMG v. Suno Quibble Over Judge Hellerstein's Denial of Motion to Dismiss DMCA Claim</ref>
  • April 2026: UMG/Sony settlement talks with Suno stalled over fees/equity terms<ref name="dmn-settlement" />

Related Cases

References

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