SOCAN Sues Suno Over AI Copies of Canadian Hits

The Society Of Composers, Authors And Music Publishers Of Canada (SOCAN) has filed a lawsuit against generative AI music platform Suno in Canadian federal court. The performance rights organization alleges the platform has created and distributed 150 tracks that directly and significantly copy specific songs by Canadian artists.

SOCAN is the third such international rights organization to sue Suno, following similar actions by Germany's GEMA and Denmark's Koda. The lawsuit, filed this week, adds to a growing list of legal challenges against the AI company. Major labels Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment are also in active litigation against Suno, while Warner Music Group settled its own suit last fall by announcing a strategic partnership with the platform.

The Alleged Infringements

SOCAN has built a website to outline its case, which singles out AI-generated copies of major hits. The cited tracks include replicas of Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" and Tom Cochrane's "Life Is A Highway," the latter famously covered by Rascal Flatts for the Cars soundtrack. The list also includes songs by artists Alexisonfire, K. Maro, and Daniel Balavoine.

Some of the AI-generated versions are described as eerie, smoothed-out replications of the originals. The platform's output for the Lavigne track was titled "Sk8er Boi (K-pop remix) (Avril Lavigne cover)" and incorporates some Korean lyrics. SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown addressed the core issue in a statement to the Canadian Press.

"Typically in a licensing agreement, there would be a profit sharing," Brown said. "If somebody was getting paid, a portion of the subscription revenue would go to the creators."

Financial Stakes and Demands

Brown highlighted Suno's current valuation of $5.4 billion USD and its significant subscriber base, noting that the platform is not paying rights holders in Canada. In the lawsuit, SOCAN is seeking the maximum statutory damages allowed under Canadian copyright law.

The organization demands $20,000 Canadian in statutory damages for each of the 150 infringing songs. SOCAN also seeks any profits Suno earned from the alleged infringement and an additional $10 million Canadian in punitive damages for what it calls "wilful and knowing infringement."

Beyond financial penalties, SOCAN is requesting a court order for a "wide injunction" remedy. This injunction would be designed for collecting societies and would apply to any song SOCAN represents, both now and in the future.

The lawsuit arrives shortly after a separate group of musicians, including Jason Isbell and David Lowery, filed a different suit against Suno over name rights rather than copyright infringement. SOCAN's action focuses squarely on the alleged copying of musical works themselves, setting up a direct legal test for AI-generated music that closely mimics existing songs.