Sony initiates fresh legal action against Udio over unlicensed AI training data
Sony is suing AI music generator Udio for copyright infringement involving 30,117 recordings, seeking up to $150,000 in statutory damages per work following a court rejection of its attempt to add these tracks to an earlier 2024 complaint.
Sony has filed a new lawsuit against AI music generator Udio, alleging the company used 30,117 of its sound recordings without permission to train its artificial intelligence models. This legal action is distinct from the 2024 lawsuit Sony filed alongside Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, both of which have since entered into licensing agreements with the AI firm. Sony remains the only major record label that has not signed a deal with Udio.
The complaint, which lists tracks by prominent artists including Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, and Michael Jackson, accuses Udio of ripping audio recordings directly from YouTube to build its training data. Sony argues that Udio’s recent efforts to secure licensing deals underscore the initial illegality of its actions, stating in the filing that the company’s belated embrace of licensing highlights the unlawfulness of copying copyrighted works without a licence in the first place.
The new lawsuit follows a court ruling on June 29, where a judge rejected Sony’s request to add the 30,117 additional tracks to its original 2024 complaint. However, the court clarified that plaintiffs retain the right to seek damages for all copyrighted works. Citing this ruling and the lack of need to expand the original case, Sony initiated this separate legal proceeding to address the specific infringements.
Udio has previously admitted to using audio data from YouTube for model training but maintains that such use constitutes fair use. In contrast, Warner Music Group stated that its agreement with Udio could provide a new income stream for artists who opt in. The divergence in strategy between the major labels has left Sony as the sole holdout in negotiations, prompting its decision to pursue statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work.
Sony is seeking a jury trial in this matter. The outcome will determine whether Udio’s use of the recordings constitutes copyright infringement or fair use, a determination that remains pending. The actual amount of damages awarded, if any, is uncertain and will depend on the final verdict of the court.
