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1: Suno Replaces Its AI Models With a New One Trained on Licensed Music as Copyright Suits Pile Up
First off today, Ivan Mehta at TechCrunch reports that the AI music company Suno has announced that it has replaced its AI models with a new one that is trained solely on licensed music.
The company has faced, and is facing, many copyright infringement lawsuits from music industry companies. However, the company has managed to strike deals with some music industry companies, including Warner Music Group and BMG.
The company has announced the release of its v6 models, which are trained solely on licensed music. This includes both their base model and “wild” model, which are available to paying customers, and a mini version available to free users. Despite the change, lawsuits with Sony and Universal Music are continuing and examining the training of earlier Suno models.
2: White House Removes Tetris-Inspired ‘Build the Wall’ Game Amid Legal Threat
Next up today, Marni Rose McFall at Newsweek reports that the White House has removed a Tetris-inspired game called Build the Wall following copyright infringement allegations by The Tetris Company.
Build the Wall was part of a new “arcade” that featured a series of in-browser games that were inspired by various Trump administration policies. In Build the Wall players had to build a wall using blocks similar to Tetris, prompting The Tetris Company to clarify that it was not part of the game’s development and that it takes copyright infringement seriously.
The game has since been removed from the site. However, other games, all of which are stylized versions of different retro games, remain.
3: Judge Rules WCAC Did Due Diligence in Dispute Over Copyright; Channel 781 Plans Appeal
Finally today, Artie Kronenfeld at the Waltham Times reports that a judge has ruled the Waltham Community Access Corp (WCAC) did due diligence before requesting a copyright takedown and is not liable for damages.
Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, WCAC is an independent organization funded by cable fees that records and broadcasts various local political events, such as council meetings and town halls. Channel 781 News, a local coalition of residents to bolster the town’s political presence, posted clips from WCAC recordings as part of various videos on YouTube.
WCAC filed a takedown notice to get the content removed. This prompted a lawsuit filed by Channel 781. Though the judge agrees that the use of the clips was fair use, the judge refused to award damages, noting that WCAC’s members did not act in bad faith and had a genuine belief that they had been infringed upon. Channel 781 has said it plans on appealing the decision.
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