FRANKFURT, Germany — Human-written lyrics retained copyright protection in a song whose accompanying music was produced using Suno, according to an October 20 announcement from Frankfurt’s Higher Regional Court.
Its October 1 decision, case 11 U 2/26, largely upheld an interim injunction against unauthorized lyric use. The songwriter credibly established authorship of her original text through sworn statements; the defendant’s evidence of AI generation did not persuade the court.
The judges left open whether AI later edited the lyrics because essential human-created elements remained in the released version. Recognizable portions also appeared in the defendant’s lyrics.
The interim decision cannot be appealed. That does not make it a final judgment in ordinary merits proceedings.
Why it matters: For songwriters, publishers and broadcasters, the practical lesson is to document human contributions and retain drafts. AI involvement alone should not be treated as proof that a track’s lyrics are free to reuse.
This ruling concerns lyric copying, not the legality of Suno’s training or copyright in entirely AI-generated songs. It does not change U.S. law.
Source: Official court announcement. RNN has not independently reviewed the full judgment, which the court said would follow in its public database.