A coalition of major Bollywood music labels, including T-Series, Saregama, and Sony, is seeking to join an ongoing copyright lawsuit against OpenAI in New Delhi. The case, initiated by news agency ANI last year, accuses OpenAI of using copyrighted content without authorization to train its AI models.
Concerns Over AI’s Use of Copyrighted Music
The Indian Music Industry (IMI) group, along with T-Series and Saregama, filed a petition on Thursday, arguing that OpenAI’s training of AI models using unauthorized sound recordings violates their intellectual property rights. The companies emphasized that the case holds global significance for the music industry, as AI’s ability to extract and replicate lyrics, compositions, and recordings poses a major threat to content ownership.
The IMI group represents Sony Music and Warner Music in India, highlighting the broader concerns of international players over AI-driven music replication.
Parallel Global Legal Battles Against OpenAI
The Indian lawsuit mirrors actions taken in other countries. In November, Germany’s GEMA, which represents composers, lyricists, and publishers, sued OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT’s unlicensed reproduction of song lyrics.
Also read: Sam Altman Highlights India’s Role in AI Revolution
OpenAI’s Response and Jurisdiction Dispute
OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, has opposed ANI’s lawsuit in India, arguing that Indian courts lack jurisdiction over a U.S.-based company operating with overseas servers. However, this latest move by Bollywood’s music labels adds pressure on OpenAI to clarify how it sources data for training its AI models.
The next hearing in the case, which could set a precedent for how AI models interact with copyright-protected content in India, is scheduled for February 21.
Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently visited India, meeting with government officials to discuss the country’s push for low-cost AI solutions and the broader implications of AI regulation.
This report was first published by Reuters.
