German music rights organisation sues OpenAI for copyright abuse

A prominent German music rights organisation initiated a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging copyright abuse relating to the training of its AI models, including ChatGPT, potentially setting a precedent for the relationship between AI technologies and copyright law in the music industry. What happened The lawsuit, filed by GEMA (the German performance rights organisation), claims that OpenAI unlawfully used copyrighted music to train its artificial intelligence systems, including ChatGPT , without obtaining proper licenses or permissions. GEMA's action follows similar lawsuits from other music rights holders who argue that AI-generated content infringes on their copyrights by producing works that closely resemble their original recordings. Why it happened GEMA accused OpenAI of reproducing protected song lyrics from its members without obtaining the necessary licenses or compensating the authors. The organisation claims that ChatGPT has been trained on copyrighted texts, including song lyrics from approximately 95,000 members, without any remuneration to their creators. The stated aim of the lawsuit is to prove that OpenAI "systematically" uses GEMA's repertoire to train its systems. GEMA also said that OpenAI and other AI model and system operators had already been warned in writing that they must acquire a license to use GEMA works. What it means This lawsuit could set significant precedents for the relationship between AI technologies and copyright law, particularly in the music industry. If GEMA succeeds, it may lead to stricter regulation on how AI companies can use copyrighted materials for training purposes, potentially requiring them to secure licenses for any content that resembles existing works. Such outcomes could reshape the landscape for the development and deployment of AI systems, compelling companies like OpenAI to reconsider their data sourcing strategies and business models. System 🤖 ChatGPT Developer: OpenAI Country: Germany Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts Purpose: Generate text Technology: Chatbot; Generative AI; Machine learning Issue: Accountability; Cheating/plagiarism; Copyright; Transparency Timeline ⏰ November 2024. GEMA files lawsuit against OpenAI November 2025. Munich Regional Court rules against OpenAI, saying the tech company violated German copyright law by memorising and reproducing song lyrics in responses generated by its large language models when users entered simple prompts Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️ GEMA. GEMA files model action to clarify AI providers‘ remuneration obligations in Europe

Date it happened

2024-11-01

Product, system or model

ChatGPT

This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.