
1 hour · 3 summary articles
German court rules AI music platform Suno violated copyright with protected songs: Netflix sued over stolen Nicolas Cage film
German court rules AI music platform Suno violated copyright with protected songs: Netflix sued over stolen Nicolas Cage film
German court rules AI music platform Suno violated copyright with protected songs: Netflix sued over stolen Nicolas Cage film
A German court ruled on Friday that AI music platform Suno violated copyright law by training its models on protected songs without permission, marking one of Europe’s first binding decisions on AI-generated music. The Munich Regional Court sided with GEMA, Germany’s music rights society, finding that Suno’s use of six copyrighted works—including “Atemlos” by Helene Fischer, “Rasputin” by Boney M., and “Forever Young” by Alphaville—constituted unauthorized reproduction .
The court determined that Suno’s models not only learned from the training data but also stored and reproduced the works, violating German copyright law. Judge Elke Schwager stated that the songs were “recognizably reproduced” in outputs, rejecting Suno’s argument that its models only retained mathematical patterns rather than the works themselves . The ruling requires Suno to cease unauthorized use, provide accountings, and pay damages, though the exact amount remains undetermined. Suno is considering an appeal.
Separately, Netflix faces a $105 million lawsuit after a hard drive containing an unreleased war film, *Fortitude*, starring Nicolas Cage, was stolen from its Los Angeles office. Producer Simon Afram and his company Op-Fortitude filed the suit, alleging Netflix’s failure to secure the unencrypted copy—sent on June 15 at the company’s request—led to the theft, which occurred 10 days later. Afram claims the film, budgeted at $45 million, is now at risk of piracy, destroying its commercial value .
Netflix denied liability, stating it “does not assume the risk of loss for a film delivered without industry-standard security measures” and that it had conducted an investigation and offered piracy monitoring. The company also noted it had taken additional steps to support the filmmakers, though Afram’s legal team criticized Netflix for not immediately involving the Los Angeles Police Department .
The Munich ruling follows a November 2025 decision by the same court against OpenAI, which was found to have infringed copyright by reproducing song lyrics in ChatGPT outputs. GEMA CEO Tobias Holzmüller called Friday’s verdict a “major success” for creators, stating that the court affirmed the society’s view that Suno’s business model relies on “the theft of intellectual property” . The case involved only six songs, but the court’s reasoning may have broader implications for AI training practices.
Follow us for live European news
2 further sources not geolocated