OpenAI Loses Copyright Case in Germany over ChatGPT’s Use of Song Lyrics
US AI giant OpenAI lost a copyright infringement lawsuit in Germany brought by GEMA, which proved ChatGPT illegally recorded and reproduced copyrighted song lyrics without authorization or payment.
WISE NEWS PRESS / MUNICH, GERMANY — Nov. 12, 2025
The US-based artificial intelligence (AI) giant OpenAI has lost a copyright infringement lawsuit in Germany over accusations that its chatbot, ChatGPT, used song lyrics without paying royalties. The Munich Regional Court ruled against OpenAI in a case brought by the German music rights organization GEMA concerning the use of nine specific popular songs.
The Munich Regional Court pointed out that searches for the nine popular songs in Germany resulted in ChatGPT displaying the lyrics "completely or largely identically." The court considered this evidence that the song lyrics were recorded in OpenAI's systems and ruled that ChatGPT infringed copyrights by using the lyrics without paying royalties.
In contrast to OpenAI’s bot, when searching for song lyrics on Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot, a warning appears stating that the lyrics are protected by copyright law and can only be displayed as a summary.
In its decision, the Munich Regional Court demanded that OpenAI cease recording and using the song lyrics in its chatbots, and the company was sentenced to pay compensation. OpenAI was also ordered to provide information regarding the use of the copyrighted works and the revenue generated from this use.
Ruling May Set European Precedent
The ruling has the potential to set a precedent in copyright disputes concerning various works beyond just song lyrics in the future. As the court decision is open to appeal, the case is expected to continue.
Kai Welp, Head of Legal Affairs at GEMA, expressed satisfaction with the decision, noting that they aim to reach an agreement for royalties to be paid for the use of song lyrics. Welp stated that the ruling would send a signal across all of Europe.
Silke von Lewinski, an expert from the German Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, emphasized that the final decision after the appeal process would carry significance beyond song lyrics, potentially encompassing literature, journalism, music, visual arts, photography, and many other fields.
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