MUMBAI: A high-profile court case in New Delhi has intensified the ongoing debate surrounding generative AI and copyright. The Indian Music Industry (IMI), comprising major music entities such as Saregama and T-Series, has taken legal action against OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

On 13 February 2025, the IMI presented its case, alleging that OpenAI's AI training methods involve unauthorised use of copyrighted song lyrics, musical compositions, and recordings. The IMI claims these materials were utilised without proper licensing or compensation.

This legal conflict initially began with a lawsuit from Asian News International (ANI), which accused OpenAI of using its copyrighted content without authorisation to train its AI models. The case has since attracted interest from multiple industries, including music labels, book publishers, and news organisations.

The controversy mirrors similar disputes occurring worldwide, where copyright holders allege that AI firms are unfairly capitalising on their intellectual property. The case raises fundamental questions about whether AI companies can rely on publicly accessible data under the principle of "fair dealing."

OpenAI maintains that its AI models operate within fair dealing guidelines, but music industry representatives argue that AI-generated content derived from copyrighted material without licensing could have significant financial consequences for artists, composers, and music labels.

As copyright concerns over AI-generated content continue to evolve, the music industry is taking decisive action to protect its creative works. The outcome of this case could shape the future of AI applications in the music sector, determining how AI interacts with copyrighted content moving forward.