AI meets German tunes! 🎶🤖 This week, on November 11, 2025, the regional court in Munich ruled that OpenAI's ChatGPT infringed German copyright laws by training on lyrics from nine protected songs, including Herbert Groenemeyer's hits "Maenner" and "Bochum."
The case was brought by GEMA, Germany's music rights society representing composers, lyricists and publishers. Presiding judge Elke Schwager ordered OpenAI to pay damages, though the amount was not disclosed.
Why it matters: Artists around the world are fighting back against AI models that scrape copyrighted content without permission. This ruling could reshape how developers train AI in Europe, pushing them to secure licenses or find alternative data sources.
Key takeaways:
- ChatGPT used lyrics from nine German songs to train its AI.
- GEMA led the lawsuit and won the court's backing.
- OpenAI faces undisclosed damages for copyright infringement.
- Sets a new precedent for AI training and copyright law in Europe.
The AI copyright debate heats up! 🔥
Reference(s):
Training ChatGPT on lyrics infringed copyright, German court rules
cgtn.com
