SOCAN sues Suno over AI outputs allegedly replicating Canadian artists' songs, seeking $20,000 per work plus $10M

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), a non-profit performance rights organisation, has filed a copyright lawsuit against US AI music platform Suno over streaming AI outputs that allegedly replicate songs without consent or compensation. The statement of claim cites 150 Suno songs it says are identical or nearly identical to works by Canadian artists including Joni Mitchell, The Weeknd, The Tragically Hip, Avril Lavigne and Tom Cochrane, and seeks $20,000 per work plus $10,000,000 for infringement. The complaint says that when prompted with the lyrics of Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now', Suno generated an output virtually identical in melody, harmony and lyrics. The case joins a series of recent lawsuits against Suno, including the labels' 2024 action and a class action from musicians led by Jason Isbell. Separately, the same report cites a summer survey of 267 working Canadian musicians in which 87% said they view AI technology in music creation negatively, and rapper Cadence Weapon says 129 of his songs have been found in datasets used to train AI music generators.

Why it matters to creators: a collective rights body is asserting that AI outputs built on its members' works require consent and compensation, and Canadian creators are demanding a say in how their works are used (or not) in AI training and generation.

Not yet known: no court ruling has been made; whether the outputs are legally established as copies; how SOCAN's claim relates to Suno's licensing deals with Warner, BMG and Believe; and whether the case settles or proceeds to trial.