Bollywood Music Labels Seek to Join Copyright Lawsuit Against OpenAI
A group of leading Indian Bollywood music labels, including T-Series, Saregama, and Sony Music, is aiming to join a copyright lawsuit against OpenAI in New Delhi. These companies have raised concerns about the alleged unauthorised use of their sound recordings to train AI models, according to legal documents reviewed by Reuters.
OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, is facing growing legal challenges worldwide. India, which ranks as its second-largest market by users, is now emerging as a critical battleground. OpenAI maintains that it follows fair-use principles, using publicly available data to train its models.
Copyright Breach Concerns in AI Training
On Thursday, the Indian Music Industry (IMI) group, along with T-Series and Saregama, urged a New Delhi court to address their concerns. They argue that OpenAI’s training of AI models with sound recordings breaches copyright laws.
“The contentions raised in this case are crucial for the entire music industry in India, and even globally,” the music labels stated in their legal filing. The companies are particularly worried that AI systems like ChatGPT could extract lyrics, music compositions, and sound recordings from the internet without proper licensing.
The music labels want to join an existing lawsuit launched last year by Indian news agency ANI, which accused OpenAI of using its content without permission for training purposes.
High Stakes for India’s Music Industry
Bollywood and Indian pop music are integral parts of India’s entertainment industry. T-Series is one of the country’s largest music labels, releasing about 2,000 songs annually. Meanwhile, Saregama, with a legacy spanning over 100 years, owns a treasure trove of recordings by iconic singers like Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar.
The IMI group represents not only Indian labels but also global players such as Sony Music and Warner Music.
An anonymous industry source revealed that Indian music labels fear AI models may access their lyrics, compositions, and recordings without permission, which could harm the industry.
Legal Battle in India’s Courts
OpenAI’s opposition to the ANI lawsuit hinges on its claim that Indian courts lack jurisdiction, as the company is based in the US and its servers are located abroad. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 21, and it is expected to shape how AI models will use copyrighted content in India in the future.
The lawsuit comes after a similar case in Germany, where GEMA, a group representing composers and lyricists, sued OpenAI in November. GEMA alleged that ChatGPT had reproduced song lyrics for which it did not have a licence.
As the legal battle unfolds, OpenAI chief Sam Altman recently visited India, meeting with government officials to discuss the country’s ambitions for low-cost AI.
with inputs from Reuters
