Sony is seeking potential copyright damages of up to $4.5 billion

Q: Which specific Sony-owned recordings are listed among the 30,117 tracks Sony alleges Udio used without permission?

The primary article states that the 30,117 allegedly unlicensed recordings include tracks by Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson.

Q: How does Sony justify seeking up to $150,000 per infringed work and what total damages is it pursuing?

Sony says Udio unlawfully copied and used 30,117 of its recordings to train AI models, accusing the company of ripping tracks from YouTube and failing to license those works, and is therefore seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work. That claim amounts to total potential damages of roughly $4.5 billion (based on the 30,117 allegedly unlicensed tracks).

Q: How does this new Sony lawsuit differ from the 2024 suit involving Sony, Warner, and Universal against Uncharted Labs and Suno/Udio?

The new lawsuit is a separate second suit that specifically accuses Udio of using 30,117 allegedly unlicensed recordings to train its models and seeks a jury trial with up to $150,000 in statutory damages per work. The 2024 case was a joint suit filed by Sony, Warner, and Universal against Uncharted Labs and Suno/Udio, and the court refused Sony's last-minute attempt to add those 30,000 songs to that original lawsuit because it was too close to the end of discovery, leaving Sony free to pursue them in a separate action.

Q: What precedent could Sony’s requested jury trial and damages award establish for AI music generators’ training practices?

If Sony wins a jury trial and secures up to $150,000 per infringed work, the decision could establish that AI companies are liable for using copyrighted recordings without permission to train their models. Such an outcome would set a major precedent governing whether and how AI firms may lawfully use copyrighted material for training.

Sony sues Udio again over 30,000 unlicensed tracks, demanding $150,000 per infringement as AI music copyright wars heat up while AI tools spread.

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Jak Connor

Tech and Science Editor

Published Jul 21, 2026 9:03 AM CDT

1-minute read time

TL;DR: Sony filed a new lawsuit against Udio alleging use of 30,117 unlicensed recordings (including songs by Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson) to train its AI, seeks jury trial and up to $150,000 per infringement, while Udio asserts fair use and other labels have licensed Udio.

Voice: Jak ConnorSpeed

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Sony has launched a new legal offensive against AI music generator Udio, this time over 30,117 allegedly unlicensed recordings used to train its models.

Sony is seeking potential copyright damages of up to $4.5 billion 2

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The new suit includes tracks by Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson, among others, and comes after the court rejected Sony's attempt to expand its original lawsuit filed in 2024. Notably, the 2024 lawsuit was filed by Sony, Warner Brothers, and Universal against Uncharted Labs and Suno, the creators of Udio, and Suno, two AI music generators.

However, the court rejected Sony's request to add 30,000 new songs it believes Udio unlawfully used to train its AI model on June 29, as it was too close to the end of the discovery phase of the lawsuit. Although Sony was told by the court that it's free to pursue the new 30,000 songs for copyright infringement, just not as part of the case filed in 2024.

So, Sony filed a second lawsuit accusing Udio of ripping tracks from YouTube and copying Sony's copyrighted recordings without permission. While Universal and Warner have already struck licensing deals with Udio, Sony remains the lone holdout, arguing that the AI firm's lackluster licensing efforts only highlight the illegality of its initial data harvesting. Udio claims its use of the recordings is protected under fair use.

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Question #1

Which specific Sony-owned recordings are listed among the 30,117 tracks Sony alleges Udio used without permission?

Question #2

How does Sony justify seeking up to $150,000 per infringed work and what total damages is it pursuing?

Question #3

How does this new Sony lawsuit differ from the 2024 suit involving Sony, Warner, and Universal against Uncharted Labs and Suno/Udio?

Question #4

What precedent could Sony’s requested jury trial and damages award establish for AI music generators’ training practices?

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Sony is now seeking a jury trial and up to $150,000 in statutory damages per infringed work. The outcome could set a major precedent for how AI companies are allowed to use copyrighted material for training.