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German Court Rules OpenAI’s ChatGPT Breached Copyright by Reproducing Song Lyrics

By  |  November 11, 2025

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been found in violation of German copyright law for reproducing lyrics from songs by popular musician Herbert Grönemeyer and others, according to Reuters. The ruling, issued Tuesday by a regional court in Munich, marks a key legal development in Europe’s ongoing debate over how artificial intelligence systems use protected creative works.

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    Per Reuters, the court determined that OpenAI’s AI models had been trained on copyrighted material from nine German songs, including Grönemeyer’s well-known tracks “Männer” and “Bochum.” The lawsuit was filed by the German music rights organization GEMA, which represents thousands of composers, lyricists, and publishers. The case is part of a broader global effort by artists to push back against what they describe as unauthorized data scraping by AI developers.

    Judge Elke Schwager ordered OpenAI to pay damages for the unauthorized use of copyrighted material, though the court did not disclose the compensation amount. According to Reuters, GEMA’s legal advisor Kai Welp expressed hope that the ruling would encourage negotiations with OpenAI over fair compensation for rights holders.

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    OpenAI maintained that its models do not store or copy training data directly but instead learn from patterns across vast datasets. The company argued that any reproduction of lyrics occurs only when users prompt the system, implying that users—not OpenAI—bear responsibility for generated content.

    Read more: EU Wrestles With How To Apply the Digital Services Act to ChatGPT

    However, the court concluded that both the storage of copyrighted text within the AI model and the reproduction of those lyrics in ChatGPT’s responses constitute infringements of exploitation rights, according to Reuters. Legal analysts say the decision could set an important precedent for how AI firms across Europe handle copyrighted materials in their training processes.

    “The internet is not a self-service store, and human creative achievements are not free templates,” said GEMA CEO Tobias Holzmueller following the verdict. “Today, we have set a precedent that protects and clarifies the rights of authors: even operators of AI tools such as ChatGPT must comply with copyright law.”

    OpenAI responded by saying, “We disagree with the ruling and are considering next steps,” noting that the decision applies only to a small number of song lyrics and does not affect the many users and businesses in Germany that rely on its technology daily.

    According to Reuters, similar disputes are emerging elsewhere, including a case in India where leading Bollywood music labels have asked a New Delhi court to join a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of using sound recordings without authorization. The growing number of cases underscores mounting global concern over how generative AI systems handle copyrighted music and creative works.

    Source: Reuters