Story perspectives

SOCAN sues Suno for copyright infringement over 150 songs

9/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

SOCAN sued U.S. AI music platform Suno for copyright infringement, listing 150 infringing outputs.
The alleged copies include Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is a Highway” and Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi.”
SOCAN seeks CAD $20,000 statutory damages per song (about CAD $2.74 million total) plus CAD $10 million punitive damages and two injunctions.
Suno, valued at US $5.4 billion, has not responded and continues offering paid subscriptions after a prior German loss.

History

Historical Context

In July 2000 Judge Marilyn Hall Patel ordered Napster to halt copyrighted music sharing, and Ninth Circuit affirmed the injunction in 2001. The suit, led by A&M Records with Universal, Sony, Warner and the RIAA, cited the platform’s peak of 26.4 million users in February 2001. SOCAN’s 2024 lawsuit against AI firm Suno relies on that precedent, alleging unlicensed use of Tom Cochrane’s and Avril Lavigne’s tracks.

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Story summary

SOCAN sued U.S. AI music platform Suno for copyright infringement, listing 150 infringing outputs.
The alleged copies include Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is a Highway” and Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi.”
SOCAN seeks CAD $20,000 statutory damages per song (about CAD $2.74 million total) plus CAD $10 million punitive damages and two injunctions.
Suno, valued at US $5.4 billion, has not responded and continues offering paid subscriptions after a prior German loss.

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