Jamendo sues NVIDIA over unauthorized AI music use

What happened

On June 22, 2026, Jamendo filed a complaint in U.S. Federal Court against NVIDIA Corporation alleging copyright infringement, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment related to the unauthorized use of Jamendo-related content in AI technologies. Separately, on June 11, 2026, the Ghent Enterprise Court in Belgium confirmed its jurisdiction over Jamendo's commercial claim of approximately EUR 16 million against NVIDIA Technologies Belgium, concerning the alleged unauthorized use of more than 55,000 musical works and related data.

Why it matters

These proceedings test whether AI developers can use copyrighted musical content without permission or compensation to train AI systems. The claims span both intellectual property law in the U.S. and contract-based commercial claims in Europe, suggesting the issue extends beyond a single company's dispute to questions about how generative AI systems should handle artists' copyrighted works.

What to watch

Under U.S. Copyright Act, statutory damages may be awarded up to USD 30,000 per infringed work, and up to USD 150,000 per infringed work in cases of willful infringement. The Belgian proceedings are scheduled for oral pleadings on June 24, 2027, with written submissions expected between end of 2026 and beginning of 2027.