Google argues YouTube's terms of service already permit AI training on uploaded music in Lyria 3 lawsuit

What happened: In a new court filing seeking dismissal of a lawsuit by independent artists, songwriters and producers over the training of its Lyria 3 AI music model, Google argued that musicians who upload music directly to YouTube have already granted the company permission to use that content for AI-related purposes under the platform's existing terms of service. Google maintains that YouTube's upload license — which covers reproduction, distribution and derivative works — is broad enough to cover AI training, while stopping short of explicitly confirming whether uploaded YouTube music was actually used to train Lyria 3. The plaintiffs allege their copyrighted works were used without consent or compensation.

Why it matters to creators: If courts accept Google's reading, platform terms of service become a standalone legal basis for AI training — distinct from fair use — potentially covering vast amounts of creator-uploaded content across platforms. This directly affects any musician distributing via YouTube and could shape how other platforms frame their own AI-training rights.

What is not yet known: Whether the court will accept the terms-of-service interpretation; Google has not confirmed what data trained Lyria 3. The case remains at the motion-to-dismiss stage with no ruling on the merits.