Suno fights to make Apple testify on whether Apple Music could survive without UMG and Sony, claiming the majors use their catalogs ‘as a cudgel’ to win anti-AI concessions
Suno is asking a California federal court to require Apple to answer questions under oath in a copyright dispute with Universal Music Group and Sony Music. The AI music company says Apple Music is relevant because the labels claim AI-generated tracks are eroding their market share and diluting royalties on streaming services.
Suno still seeks live testimony on four topics: Apple’s licensing talks with the labels, whether Apple Music could operate without either catalogue, streaming fraud, and communications about Suno. It argues the evidence could support its fair-use defence, including whether AI music harms the market for original recordings. The labels’ first lawsuit covers 560 recordings and carries a theoretical maximum of about $84 million in damages; a second suit concerns 60,202 recordings, with a theoretical maximum above $9 billion. Apple says the requested topics are irrelevant, too broad and disproportionate.
In short
- Suno wants Apple questioned under oath in its copyright case.
- It says Apple Music matters to the labels’ claims about market harm.
- Apple disputes the relevance and scope of the requested testimony.
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The case for
Suno can argue that Apple’s experience is relevant to whether major labels’ recordings are essential to a streaming service and how AI music might affect demand for originals. Testimony about licensing negotiations, streaming fraud and communications about Suno could help assess the labels’ claims of market harm and inform Suno’s fair-use defence.
The case against
Apple can argue that questions about its business and negotiations do not establish whether Suno’s use of specific recordings is lawful or harms the market for them. Requiring senior or live testimony on broad topics could impose disproportionate costs and distract from the copyright claims, while written evidence or narrower discovery may suffice.
Explained simply
Suno is a company that makes music using artificial intelligence. Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music are two of the world’s biggest record companies; they say Suno used recordings from their catalogues without permission to develop its system. Suno disputes the claims and is relying in part on a legal defence called fair use, which can allow some uses of copyrighted material.
Apple Music is a streaming service that licenses music from record companies, including UMG and Sony. Suno says how the service depends on those catalogues, and how streaming affects artists and labels, could help assess whether AI music harms the market for recordings. The dispute matters because the cases involve large potential damages and could affect how copyright law applies to AI music.