Daily 9/21: Suno v6 lawsuit, Disney's first CTO, and Universal Music's AI platform with ElevenLabs

Sony and Universal sue over Suno v6, Disney appoints its first CTO, and Universal Music teams up with ElevenLabs on a licensed AI music platform.

• [Variety] Sony Music and Universal Music Sue Suno Again Over Its New v6 Model ↗

  Suno says it trained v6 on content licensed from WMG, BMG, and Believe, but Sony Music and Universal Music argue that retraining on outputs from an earlier model does not cure the underlying copyright infringement. The labels filed a 45-page complaint, widening the AI music dispute from unauthorized training to the use of an allegedly infringing model's outputs in a successor model. The case will test whether licensing the training content is enough to resolve liability for a later model and whether this licensing structure is legally valid.

• [The Walt Disney Company] Disney Names Karandeep Anand as Its First Chief Technology Officer ↗

  Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand, the former CEO of Character.AI and a former Meta and Microsoft executive, as its first chief technology officer. He will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data, AI platforms, products, and engineering as one organization. As Disney works to deepen its direct relationship with fans through Disney+, the company is elevating technology from a support function to a core growth and business strategy.

• [Robotics and Automation News] Universal Music and ElevenLabs to Build a Licensed AI Music Platform ↗

  Universal Music Group and ElevenLabs have signed a multi-year licensing agreement and strategic collaboration to build an AI music platform for fan participation. Fans will be able to remix and co-create with music from participating artists, while the companies also plan AI audio products for artists and songwriters. It is ElevenLabs' first deal with a major label and centers on a licensed generative-music ecosystem with revenue sharing.