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Munich Court Rules OpenAI Violated Copyright by Using Song Lyrics in ChatGPT

The court paired injunctive relief with damages, signaling a narrow view of the EU text‑and‑data‑mining exception.

Overview

  • Landgericht München I found in favor of GEMA over nine specific songs, including Atemlos, Männer, Über den Wolken and In der Weihnachtsbäckerei.
  • Judges concluded that verbatim or near‑verbatim outputs evidenced memorization within ChatGPT’s models, rejecting OpenAI’s claim of purely probabilistic synthesis.
  • The order directs OpenAI to stop storing and outputting the lyrics, pay damages, and disclose information on use and any related revenues.
  • The ruling held that text‑and‑data‑mining rules allow analysis but not full reproduction or public output of protected works.
  • The judgment is not yet final, with OpenAI considering further steps that could lead to appeals and broader legal clarification across Europe.