A federal judge denied Sony Music's bid to add 30,000 recordings to its Udio case.
Why it matters: The ruling keeps one of the music industry's biggest AI copyright fights focused on the original complaint. The case remains a key test of whether training music models on copyrighted recordings without a license is infringement or fair use.
- Sony Music asked to add more than 30,000 allegedly infringed sound recordings to its Udio lawsuit.
- Music Business Worldwide reported that a federal judge denied the motion, leaving the case limited to the works already named.
- The RIAA said the original complaint, filed June 24, 2024, covered only a few hundred works.
- The case is in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Sony Music asked a federal court to expand its copyright case against AI music generator Udio by adding more than 30,000 allegedly infringed sound recordings. Music Business Worldwide
That request was denied, according to Music Business Worldwide, which said the lawsuit remains limited to the works already named in the complaint.
The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In its June 2024 announcement of the lawsuit, the RIAA said Sony Music, UMG Recordings and Warner Records accused Udio of copying and exploiting copyrighted sound recordings without permission to train generative AI models. RIAA
Music Business Worldwide reported that Sony's expansion effort relied on analysis of Udio's training data using audio fingerprinting, a method used to compare sound patterns and identify matching recordings. The Verge said the proposed additions would have covered artists across eras, including Elvis Presley, Beyoncé and Harry Styles. The Verge
The procedural outcome matters because it leaves the central legal issue unresolved: whether training generative music models on copyrighted recordings without a license is fair use or infringement.
By the numbers
- 30,000+ - Sound recordings Sony Music sought to add to the case
- June 24, 2024 - Date the original complaint was filed
- A few hundred - Works named in the original complaint, according to the RIAA
Yes, but: The denial does not resolve the underlying copyright question; it only keeps the case limited to the original complaint.