Jason Isbell and several other musicians have sued Suno, accusing the AI music company of training its model on artists’ identities without consent.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, advances a right-of-publicity argument rather than relying only on copyright claims. The plaintiffs say Suno encoded artists’ identities into its model and commercially benefited from the association without permission or compensation.
The named plaintiffs include Isbell, Lowell, Forsyth and Calle. Their complaint seeks damages and an order blocking the alleged practice. Suno has faced broader disputes over AI training, but this case focuses on the alleged commercial use of artists’ names, personas and identities.
The legal question is narrower than whether AI-generated music sounds similar to a particular artist. The court will have to consider what the plaintiffs can establish about identity, consent, commercial use and the remedies available under the law.
The case could become an important test for musicians who argue that AI companies are selling an association with their work or persona, even when a lawsuit is not framed as a conventional copyright claim.
