A Fight Over 61,000 Recordings Could Set the Ceiling on AI Music Copyright Damages
Universal Music Group and Sony Music have asked a Massachusetts court to add 61,026 recordings to their copyright infringement lawsuit against AI music generator Suno, up from the original 560 works. Suno is pushing back, citing a June 29 ruling in which a New York judge refused to let Sony add 30,442 recordings to its separate Udio case. US copyright law caps statutory damages at $150,000 per work for willful infringement, putting the theoretical maximum above $9 billion for the full Suno complaint. Suno has already admitted its training 'presumably included recordings whose rights are owned by the Plaintiffs.' Warner Music, a former co-plaintiff in the Suno case, settled separately.
THE BREAKDOWN
The $9 billion ceiling is a negotiating number, not a likely outcome, but the complaint scale signals the majors are using litigation to force AI music companies into licensing deals. For artist managers whose clients have catalogs, this is the moment to audit any AI music company agreements and confirm that licensing terms were actually negotiated, not assumed by default. The fact that WMG settled while UMG and Sony are pushing for maximum damages shows three different negotiating postures across the majors. Managers should know which label their clients are on, because the settlement posture differs, and that affects which AI tools clients can safely use or partner with commercially.
Get the full briefing weekly
Read by talent managers, agents, and brand partnership professionals every Friday.