Google Faces Lawsuit Over Lyria 3 AI Music Model

Indie artists claim tech giant used unlicensed YouTube songs to train its AI

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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A group of independent artists, songwriters and producers has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of training its Lyria 3 artificial intelligence music model on unlicensed songs pulled from YouTube. The lawsuit alleges that Google, which owns YouTube, used its position to 'pivot from distributor to competitor' by extracting audio elements from YouTube videos without paying artists.

Why it matters

This lawsuit represents the latest front in the ongoing battle between AI music generators and music rightsholders. It highlights the tension between the rapid development of AI music technology and the need to protect the intellectual property rights of artists and songwriters. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the future of AI-generated music and the relationship between tech companies and the music industry.

The details

The lawsuit was filed by a group of independent artists, including singer/songwriter Sam Kogon, composer/producer Magnus Fiennes, songwriter/producer Michael Mell, R&B group Attack the Sound, folk rock duo Stan Burjek and James Burjek, and the band Directrix. The plaintiffs allege that their work, which they publish on YouTube, was likely included in the Lyria 3 training dataset without their permission. They are bringing copyright infringement claims against Google, as well as various other intellectual property, privacy and consumer protection claims.

  • The lawsuit was filed on Friday, March 6, 2026.
  • Google launched its Lyria 3 AI music model through the Gemini app last month.

The players

Google

A multinational technology company that owns YouTube and recently launched the Lyria 3 AI music model.

Sam Kogon

A singer/songwriter and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Google.

Magnus Fiennes

A composer/producer and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Google.

Michael Mell

A songwriter/producer and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Google.

Attack the Sound

An R&B group and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Google.

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What’s next

The lawsuit is a proposed class action, meaning the plaintiffs want relief for all indie artists who have allegedly been harmed by Google's conduct. The case is ongoing, and the outcome could have significant implications for the future of AI-generated music and the relationship between tech companies and the music industry.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing tension between the rapid development of AI music technology and the need to protect the intellectual property rights of artists and songwriters. The case could set an important precedent for how tech companies like Google must navigate the use of copyrighted material in their AI models.