Sony is suing Udio again…

Sony Music Entertainment is suing Udio…again. The two parties have been involved in copyright infringement litigation since June 2024, and this recent development surrounds 30,117 recordings that Sony attempted to include in the first lawsuit. A judge struck down that motion on June 29, so now Sony has filed a second lawsuit specifically focusing on those initially rejected recordings.

The first lawsuit was part of a concerted effort between Sony, several of its subsidiaries, and the other two major record labels: Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. The Recording Industry Association of America coordinated this comprehensive effort from the music industry. However, the other two major labels have since settled their litigation and struck licensing deals with Udio.

This second lawsuit will fall specifically on Sony. When the judge dismissed the order to add the 30,117 recordings, the ruling stated that “Plaintiffs have the right to seek to stop infringement of, and recover damages for, all copyrighted works” and that “there is no requirement that it be done in [that] lawsuit.” Sony is citing the latter quote as the basis for the second suit.

Sony selected the 30,117 recordings after discovery on the first suit let it use audio fingerprinting software on Udio’s training data. Apparently that number reflects “only a small portion” of what Udio used without permission. Some of the works come from major artists such as Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Johnny Cash, and Harry Styles.

“Udio’s belated embrace of licensing only underscores the unlawfulness of its decision to copy Plaintiffs’ copyrighted sound recordings, without a license, in the first place,” reads Sony’s complaint.

Sony remains the only major label to not have a deal with Udio. Other major companies who have entered into licensing agreements include Merlin, Kobalt, Believe and the National Music Publishers’ Association.

Read Sony’s full complaint in the new lawsuit.