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As artificial intelligence reshapes the music industry, copyright battles are intensifying. On February 16, Nikkei Asia reported that Japan-headquartered Sony Group has developed technology capable of detecting copyrighted music embedded within AI-generated tracks. The move signals a major step toward resolving one of the industry’s most urgent questions: how should original creators be compensated when their work trains AI systems?
How the Detection Technology Works
The system—developed by Sony AI—operates in two ways. If AI developers cooperate, Sony can connect directly to their base models to extract and analyze training data. Without cooperation, the technology compares AI-generated output against existing music catalogs to estimate which works were used.
Sony envisions this technology forming the backbone of a revenue-sharing framework. Under such a system, songwriters, composers, performers, and publishers would receive compensation proportional to their contributions to AI-generated tracks—bringing structure to what has largely been a legal gray area.
Legal Pressure and Industry Divides
The development arrives amid mounting legal scrutiny. Sony Music Entertainment previously sued AI music platforms Suno and Udio for what it described as “mass infringement.” In contrast, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group chose to settle with Udio and pursue licensing agreements, with Warner also reaching a settlement with Suno in November 2025.
Rather than rushing into partnerships, Sony appears focused on building technical infrastructure first—positioning itself to influence how future licensing negotiations unfold.
Partnerships and a Broader AI Strategy
Sony’s AI ambitions extend beyond litigation. In October 2025, Sony Music Group joined Spotify in developing “responsible” AI music products, as Spotify pledged “significant investments in AI research and product development.”
Earlier, in September 2025, Sony partnered with SoundPatrol, a Stanford University-affiliated lab that promotes “groundbreaking neural fingerprinting technologies.” Its patent-pending “forensic AI model for audio-video fingerprinting” is described as “a step change from existing detection methods,” underscoring the rapid evolution of AI copyright tools.
Shaping the Future of AI Music Compensation
From Japan’s copyright framework to its challenge of proposed UK copyright reforms in March 2025, Sony’s strategy reflects a broader goal: to proactively shape the AI music economy rather than simply react to it. By embedding detection technology into licensing workflows, Sony aims to ensure that as AI-generated music expands, accountability and compensation for original creators expand alongside it.
If widely adopted, Sony’s system could mark a turning point—transforming AI copyright enforcement from reactive lawsuits into structured, data-driven revenue sharing.
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