SOCAN sues Suno, alleges AI company copies Canadian music without paying creators

Canada's SOCAN, a music rights organization, has filed a lawsuit against U.S. artificial intelligence company Suno, accusing the company of copying Canadian songs without permission or compensation. The lawsuit was filed in the Federal Court of Canada, alleging that Suno infringed upon the performing rights of numerous songs by generating AI outputs that mimic human-created music.

SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown emphasized the importance of ensuring that creators are paid for the use of their music. She expressed concern about large platforms building on the work of creators without providing compensation. Suno, valued at US$5.4 billion, generates music from text prompts and has attracted over two million paid subscribers and more than 100 million users.

The lawsuit cites 150 instances where Suno's outputs closely resemble songs in SOCAN's repertoire, including Nickelback's "Photograph" and songs by Avril Lavigne and Tom Cochrane. Although the allegations have not been proven in court, SOCAN has created a website showcasing AI-generated outputs alongside the songs they allegedly replicate.

Brown noted that SOCAN has attempted to negotiate licensing agreements with Suno but has not been able to reach a meaningful agreement. The organization is seeking damages and an injunction to stop Suno from making infringing outputs available while respecting the rights of music creators and publishers. This lawsuit comes amid several other legal challenges faced by Suno, including a proposed class-action lawsuit filed by singer-songwriter Jason Isbell and three other artists who claim the company exploited their identities without consent.

Suno is also facing copyright lawsuits from major U.S. labels such as Universal Music Group and Sony Music Group.