A Munich court ruled on November 11, 2025, that OpenAI violated German copyright laws by using protected song lyrics – including works by renowned artist Herbert Groenemeyer – to train its ChatGPT AI model. The landmark decision marks a pivotal moment in global debates about AI development and intellectual property rights.
The regional court found OpenAI trained its systems on nine copyrighted songs, including Groenemeyer's iconic tracks "Maenner" and "Bochum," without proper authorization. German music rights organization GEMA, representing composers and publishers, brought the case forward amid growing pushback against AI data scraping practices worldwide.
Presiding Judge Elke Schwager ordered OpenAI to pay undisclosed damages, emphasizing that "the use of protected content for AI training requires rights holders' consent." While the ruling applies specifically to German copyrights, legal experts suggest it could influence ongoing global litigation about generative AI's use of creative works.
The decision comes as artists and tech firms increasingly clash over fair compensation in the AI era. OpenAI has not yet announced whether it will appeal the verdict.
