Italy’s competition regulator has opened a formal investigation into Suno, the AI music platform, over terms of service it says create “a significant imbalance of consumer rights and obligations.”
The Italian Competition Authority (ICA) disclosed the probe in a brief release today. The regulator said the terms give Suno broad discretion to make unilateral changes to the contract, the service and subscription prices without providing justification, and to remove users or content as it sees fit.
Terms under scrutiny#
The ICA’s concerns include:
- Broad discretion to unilaterally change the contract, the service and subscription prices without justification
- Ability to remove users and content at the company’s discretion
- A requirement that users consent to additional terms they cannot access before entering the contract
- An arbitration provision and liability limits framed in “very broad and generic” language
- A license scope described as generic and all-encompassing, including a waiver of moral rights
“The scope of the license imposed on consumers as a condition for using the platform services seems to be insufficiently defined, as it is framed in generic and all-encompassing terms, and imposes the waiver of moral rights,” the authority wrote.
Relevant terms text states: “you irrevocably waive any and all so-called ‘moral rights’ or ‘droit moral’ that may exist in or in connection with the Content or your Voice Model.” Another clause says: “this license authorizes us to make your Content (including Output that incorporates your Voice Model, but, for clarity, not your Voice Model itself) available to and sublicense such Content to other users of the Service as necessary.”
Wider legal pressure#
The Italian inquiry is the latest in a series of legal and regulatory actions involving Suno. The company is defending multiple suits related to a reported data breach, copyright claims from non-Warner major record companies, and several artist-led infringement actions.
