Creator Drama
Sony Files Second Lawsuit Against AI Music Generator Udio for Copyright Infringement
Ongoing
Via "Suno Exposed: Terms Of Service... (Don't Release AI Music U" All clips and posts below are embedded from their original sources.
By the numbers: this timeline documents 8 events from Jan 1, 2024 to Jul 22, 2026, drawn from 3 sources.
“mass infringement of copyrighted sound recordings.”
via dexerto.com
Background
Sony Music has filed a second lawsuit against AI music generator Udio, alleging the company used over 30,000 of its copyrighted sound recordings without permission to train its AI models. This new legal action comes after a previous attempt by Sony to include these additional tracks in an earlier 2024 lawsuit against Udio was rejected by a New York federal judge.
The court reportedly denied the expansion of the original case because it was too close to the end of the discovery phase, leaving Sony free to pursue the matter in a new complaint.
The lawsuit claims that Udio obtained many of these recordings by "stream ripping" music from platforms like YouTube, allegedly bypassing protections to create permanent copies for AI training. Sony argues that Udio's "belated embrace of licensing" with companies like Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group only underscores the unlawfulness of its initial data harvesting.
While Universal and Warner have entered into licensing agreements with Udio, Sony remains in litigation, seeking to establish clearer boundaries in the use of copyrighted material for AI development. Udio, meanwhile, maintains that training AI on copyrighted music qualifies as fair use.
The timeline
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Initial Lawsuit Filed
Sony, Warner Brothers, and Universal Music Group filed an initial lawsuit against Uncharted Labs and Suno, the creators of Udio, alleging mass infringement of copyrighted sound recordings by AI music generators.[1271]
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Court Rejects Expansion of Original Lawsuit
A New York federal judge rejected Sony's attempt to add over 30,000 new songs to its existing 2024 lawsuit against Udio, citing that the request was made too close to the end of the discovery phase. Sony was informed it was free to pursue these additional songs in a separate lawsuit.[1270]
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Sony Files Second Lawsuit Against Udio
Sony Music filed a new, separate lawsuit against AI music generator Udio, alleging the use of 30,117 copyrighted sound recordings in its AI training data without permission. The lawsuit seeks statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work and an injunction.[1269]
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Sony Alleges 'Stream Ripping' for Training Data
The lawsuit claims Udio obtained many of the allegedly infringing recordings by 'stream ripping' music from YouTube using tools like YT-DLP, bypassing platform protections to create permanent copies for AI training.[1269]
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Sony Claims Hundreds of Thousands of Infringed Recordings
Sony states that the 30,117 tracks named in the new lawsuit are only a fraction of what it believes Udio copied, with a forensic review allegedly identifying "hundreds of thousands" of Sony-owned recordings in the AI's training dataset.[1269]
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Udio's Defense: Fair Use
Udio has previously admitted its AI models were trained on a "vast amount of different kinds of sound recordings" and maintains that training AI on copyrighted music qualifies as fair use.[1269]
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Licensing Deals with Other Labels
The lawsuit notes Udio's recent licensing deals with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, arguing these agreements highlight the unlawfulness of Udio's prior actions without a license.[1269]
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Sony Seeks Statutory Damages
Sony is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 for each infringed recording, potentially amounting to billions of dollars if all 30,117 tracks are found to be infringed.[1269]
Frequently asked
What is the main allegation in Sony's new lawsuit against Udio?
Sony Music alleges that Udio, an AI music generator, used over 30,000 of its copyrighted songs without permission to train its AI models.
Why did Sony file a second lawsuit against Udio?
Sony's attempt to add these 30,000 songs to an earlier lawsuit was rejected by a judge. The new lawsuit allows Sony to pursue these claims separately.
What evidence does Sony claim to have?
Sony claims to have identified the songs after inspecting Udio's source code and training data during discovery, using forensic reviews and audio fingerprinting. They allege Udio also used 'stream ripping' from platforms like YouTube.
What is Udio's defense against these allegations?
Udio has argued that training its AI models on copyrighted music falls under the legal doctrine of fair use.
What damages is Sony seeking?
Sony is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 for each infringed recording, as well as an injunction to stop further alleged copyright infringement.
Have other major music labels settled with Udio?
Yes, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have reportedly reached licensing agreements with Udio, while Sony remains in litigation.
Related drama
Sources
- dexerto.com, Sony Music has filed a new lawsuit against AI music generator Udio, claiming it found more than 30,000 of its songs inside the company’s AI training data. The record label says the 30,117 tracks named, Jul 22, 2026.
- techbooky.com, Sony Music has filed a new lawsuit against Udio, escalating one of the music industry’s most important legal fights with generative AI. The new case names more than 30,000 songs that Sony says were in, Jul 22, 2026.
- tweaktown.com, TweakTownNewsBusiness, Financial & LegalSony sues Udio again over 30,000 unlicensed tracks, demanding $150,000 per infringement as AI music copyright wars heat up while AI tools spread.TL;DR: Sony fil, Jul 22, 2026.