Italy Probes AI Music Startup Suno Over Unfair Terms
The competition authority AGCM is scrutinizing contract provisions, including copyright licenses and unilateral changes.
By Letizia Giugliano
2 min readHuman-Edited, AI-Assisted
Italy's competition authority, AGCM, has launched an investigation into the artificial intelligence music generator Suno regarding its terms of service. The probe focuses on potential imbalances in contractual rights and obligations, particularly concerning copyright and the company's ability to make unilateral changes. This action expands Suno's legal challenges beyond existing copyright lawsuits in other regions [Music Ally](https://musically.com/2026/10/07/italys-competition-watchdog-probes-suno-over-unfair-terms/).
AGCM's Probe into Suno's Terms of Service
The Italian competition authority, known as AGCM (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato), initiated an investigation into Suno, a company leveraging artificial intelligence for music creation. This inquiry centers on the company's terms of service, suggesting they "may create a significant imbalance in the rights and obligations under the contract, to the detriment of consumers." Unlike previous legal actions against Suno, this investigation is not directly about copyright infringement, but rather the fairness of its contractual provisions, highlighting a growing area of concern for innovation and the rights of the inventor in the digital age Music Ally.
Concerns Over Copyright and Contractual Flexibility
Among AGCM's specific concerns is the way Suno's terms appear to grant the company "broad discretion to make unilateral changes to the contract, the service and the subscription prices, without having to provide any justification." The intellectual property aspects of the contract are also under scrutiny. The authority noted that the scope of the license imposed on consumers as a condition for using the platform seems "insufficiently defined" and framed in "generic and all-encompassing terms," raising questions about the ownership of any resulting patent or creative work. Furthermore, the terms appear to impose a waiver of moral rights, which are non-economic rights of authors concerning their work Music Ally.
Next Steps for the AI Music Startup
Following the launch of the investigation, AGCM will initiate a public consultation on the terms being scrutinized. Trade associations, chambers of commerce, and consumer associations are invited to participate in this process. It is anticipated that Italian music-industry bodies and the startup Suno will share their perspectives during this consultation, a development of interest to the patent magazine and those following patent news Music Ally. Stuart Dredge, Music Ally's Head of Insight, reported on this development.
Read also on The Patent: EPO Board Rules on Claim Ambiguity; Belgian Patent Litigation Reviewed · HumanCulture's AI Predicts Social Media Music Performance
