A German court has ruled that OpenAI violated national copyright law by training ChatGPT on protected musical works without obtaining permission. The decision, reported by multiple outlets including The Guardian, marks a significant legal setback for OpenAI in Europe and strengthens arguments from rights holders who say AI companies must secure proper licences before using copyrighted material.
The case was initiated last November by GEMA, Germany’s music rights management organisation. GEMA accused OpenAI of using licensed musical compositions to train its models without authorisation, arguing that the company benefited from copyrighted work while bypassing the legal framework designed to protect creators. The court agreed and ordered OpenAI to pay damages, although the exact amount has not been disclosed. OpenAI has stated that it disagrees with the ruling and is evaluating its legal options.
For GEMA, the ruling represents more than a single courtroom victory. The organisation is calling it the first major AI copyright judgement in Europe, a precedent that clarifies how training data must be handled within the region. In a statement, GEMA chief executive Tobias Holzmüller said the outcome defends the rights and incomes of music creators and proves that AI developers must follow the same copyright rules as everyone else.
Legal troubles for OpenAI
The decision lands at a time when OpenAI is facing similar legal challenges from writers, publishers, artists, and media groups in other jurisdictions. Many of these cases question whether large-scale scraping of creative work for AI training can be considered fair use or whether it needs explicit licensing agreements. Courts around the world are now being asked to interpret laws that predate generative AI, creating a patchwork of rulings that could shape the industry’s future.
While this judgement does not resolve the wider debate, it signals that European courts may take a strict stance on unlicensed training data. As regulatory frameworks evolve, AI companies may be compelled to negotiate broader licensing deals or overhaul how they source training material.
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