← the record
WF-BKZNVJ

GEMA sues OpenAI for unlicensed use of song lyrics in ChatGPT training

On 13 November 2024, German copyright collective GEMA filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in Munich, alleging that the company used copyrighted song lyrics from GEMA's repertoire to train its ChatGPT chatbot without obtaining licenses or paying authors. GEMA claims that when prompted, ChatGPT reproduces original song lyrics, demonstrating the unauthorized use. The lawsuit seeks to establish that OpenAI must compensate the approximately 100,000 GEMA members. The case is pending before the Munich Regional Court.

Date it happened
2024-11-13
Organisation involved
OpenAI
Product, system or model
ChatGPT
Where this came from
Share this incident
XLinkedInFacebookWhatsAppEmail
Attribution

This incident was imported from gema.de. Our additions to it — the structured fields, the translation, the checks against other reports — are published under the same licence.

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.