The Canadian music rights organization says Suno unlawfully copied at least 150 songs in its repertoire and used them without permission.
SOCAN is suing AI music platform Suno, alleging that the company unlawfully infringed on at least 150 songs in the Canadian music rights organization’s repertoire.
The case puts a direct question to the fast-moving AI music industry: what happens when software generates music that largely or entirely copies songs written by people?
SOCAN says Suno launched its service in Canada in December 2023 without contacting the organization or seeking its consent. Discussions since the launch have not produced an agreement, according to Andrea Kokonis, SOCAN’s chief legal officer and general counsel.
The songs named in SOCAN’s comparisons
SOCAN has shared side-by-side comparisons of songs and sample Suno AI outputs. The examples include Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi,” Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway” and other works in the organization’s repertoire.
The organization alleges that the outputs do more than echo a song’s general style. Its claim is that at least 150 works were largely or entirely copied.
“We want to ensure that our members are paid when their songs are used, and we do want to send a clear signal to AI services that there are consequences when they use music without permission,” Kokonis told Billboard Canada.
SOCAN’s message to AI music companies
The lawsuit reflects SOCAN’s position that AI services must seek permission when they use music represented by the organization. It also underscores the organization’s demand that songwriters and other rights holders receive payment when their work is used.
For Canadian songwriters, the dispute reaches beyond one platform. SOCAN’s allegations test how music rights apply when an AI tool can produce outputs that closely reproduce recognizable songs.
The allegations have not been proven in court. For now, SOCAN is using the case to draw a line around consent and compensation: AI music services, it says, cannot use protected songs without permission and expect creators to go unpaid.
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