Photo Credit: Jamendo Music
Winamp Group’s subsidiary Jamendo Music is filing a lawsuit against AI company Suno, just days after filing suit against Nvidia, to protect its IP.
Winamp Group SA subsidiary Jamendo Music has filed suit against artificial intelligence company Suno, part of a broader legal response by the company to fast-rising AI music giants. In a motion filed on Monday night in U.S. federal court in Massachusetts, Jamendo alleges Suno’s unauthorized use of musical content and associated data operated by Jamendo in the training of Suno’s AI technology.
Jamendo is a Luxembourg-based open music platform that enables users to freely stream and download thousands of tracks by independent artists. It serves as both a free streaming service for personal use and a commercial licensing hub for creators.
The filing comes just days after Jamendo filed a similar complaint against Nvidia and signals further steps in the actions taken by the Winamp subsidiary to protect its intellectual property rights and those of the artists it represents.
Jamendo’s complaint includes claims for copyright infringement, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment, as well as other causes of action available under U.S. law. Specifically, the copyright claims are brought pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Act and seek the remedies available under applicable law, including monetary damages and injunctive relief.
As the company points out, under the U.S. Copyright Act, statutory damages may be awarded in amounts of up to $30,000 per infringed work, and up to $150,000 per infringed work in cases of willful infringement.
While the case is similar to that filed against Nvidia, this filing is separate from the action brought against Nvidia and concerns allegations specific to Suno. However, both cases raise notably similar issues relating to the alleged unauthorized use of Jamendo-related content in the development of artificial intelligence technologies.
“Jamendo believes that the issues raised by these proceedings extend beyond its own commercial interests and concern broader questions regarding the use of copyrighted works in the training and development of generative artificial intelligence systems,” Jamendo’s announcement reads. “Through these actions, Jamendo seeks to protect its own rights, the rights of the artists it represents, and the licensing frameworks that ensure creators are properly recognized and fairly compensated for the use of their works.”
“The filing of this complaint marks another important step in Jamendo’s efforts to protect the rights of artists in an environment where artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry,” said Alexandre Saboundjian, Chief Executive Officer of Winamp Group. “We believe that innovation and respect for intellectual property must go hand in hand to ensure a sustainable ecosystem for creators, rights holders, and the companies developing tomorrow’s technologies.”