NEW DELHI — A group of India's leading Bollywood music labels, including T-Series, Saregama, and Sony, is advancing a copyright lawsuit against OpenAI in New Delhi. This legal motion underscores growing concerns about the misuse of audio recordings by AI models, according to recent legal documents.

OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, faces increasing legal challenges, particularly in India, its second-largest market. The company maintains that its methods adhere to fair-use principles, utilizing publicly available data to develop its innovative AI technologies.

The Indian Music Industry (IMI) group, along with prominent labels like T-Series and Saregama, has requested a New Delhi court to address their grievances regarding the alleged unauthorized use of sound recordings in AI model training that potentially infringes on their copyrights. Their claims, while not publicly disclosed, are viewed as pivotal not just for the Indian music sector, but also for the global music industry.

The music labels aim to join an ongoing lawsuit initiated by Indian news agency ANI last year. This suit alleges that OpenAI's ChatGPT application improperly employed their content without authorization in the development of its AI capabilities. The legal coalition against OpenAI has grown, supported by book publishers and media outlets, including those with backing from billionaires like Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.

Bollywood and Hindi pop music constitute a substantial sector in India, with T-Series being one of the largest music labels, producing around 2,000 new tracks annually. Additionally, Saregama boasts a historical catalog that includes legendary artists such as Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. The IMI group also includes international players like Sony Music and Warner Music.

Amid the ongoing legal proceedings, industry insiders express concerns that OpenAI and similar AI technologies might exploit lyrics, musical compositions, and sound recordings from various online sources without proper licensing. This recent action by Indian companies follows similar steps taken by Germany’s GEMA, which sued OpenAI in November over allegations of unlicensed reproduction of song lyrics.

OpenAI has countered the ANI lawsuit, arguing that the Indian courts lack jurisdiction as the firm is based in the U.S. with server locations outside India. The next significant hearing in this landmark case is scheduled for February 21. Furthermore, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman visited India recently, engaging with the country's information technology minister to deliberate on strategies for affordable AI development.

For detailed insights, visit Reuters, Channel News Asia, and Bangkok Post.