UMG and Sony's AI training copyright suit against Suno moved into contested third-party subpoena fights
Universal Music Group and Sony Music are suing Suno over whether it was fair use to train its AI music service on millions of unlicensed tracks they own; no ruling has been made. The case is in a lengthy evidence-gathering process. Apple Music has asked a judge to block a Suno deposition subpoena, and DistroKid has refused to provide AI-track data the labels sought. Suno says the Mechanical Licensing Collective has not complied with its subpoena. The labels have also been in subpoena disputes with two Suno investors, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Bond Capital Management. On Oct. 26 the labels won permission to depose a former Menlo Ventures principal.
What the AI did
Suno's AI music service is alleged to have been trained on millions of unlicensed recordings owned by Universal Music Group and Sony Music. Whether that training was lawful fair use has not been decided.
First reported October 27, 2026 · Added to the register November 4, 2026 · 1 source
- Developer
- Suno
- Affected
- Universal Music Group and Sony Music
- When it happened
- October 26, 2026
- First reported
- October 27, 2026
What this means for you
Could this affect you?
If you build, fund, distribute or stream AI-generated music, or own recordings. Rights holders whose recordings may have been used to train AI music generators are exposed, and AI music firms, their investors and their distribution or streaming partners may be drawn into discovery, the court process for gathering evidence.
What to check
- Document where your AI training data comes from.
- Document the licences covering your AI training data.
- Prepare for subpoenas, court orders to hand over evidence, seeking metrics on AI-generated content.
- Prepare your due-diligence records in case they are requested.
Areas of your AI programme this touches
Timeline
- October 26, 2026Happened
- October 27, 2026First reported
Every fact and its source (5)
- Labels allowed to depose former Menlo Ventures principal2026-10-26“just got permission on Monday (Oct. 26) to depose C.C. Gong”[1]
- Suno funding round probed by labels$400 million Series D“$400 million Series D funding round this past June”[1]
- Apple Music responseApple asked a judge to block Suno's deposition subpoena“asking a judge to block Suno”[1]
- Former plaintiff settledWarner Music Group reached a licensing settlement with Suno“it reached a licensing settlement with Suno last year”[1]
- DistroKid responseDistroKid refused to provide AI-track data“DistroKid has so far refused to provide the data”[1]
Sources
- Suno vs Universal, Sony Music AI Lawsuit: Companies Fighting Subpoenasbillboard.com · October 27, 2026
How this record is classified. Severity N: a legal action or test finding, not a harm. Evidence: Reported, meaning press reporting only.
The facts in At a glance and in Every fact and its source are quoted from the sources listed. The summary, What the AI did and What this means for you are written from those sources and checked against them automatically before publication. Records reflect what has been disclosed, not everything that has happened. Incidents are found through news feeds and the GDELT Project.
