An Alphabet shareholder named Phil Rosen has filed a derivative lawsuit against CEO Sundar Pichai and 12 other current and former executives and board members, alleging they exposed the company to legal liability by allowing AI tools, including music generator Lyria, to be trained on copyrighted material without authorization.
Because the suit is derivative, Rosen is technically suing on behalf of Alphabet rather than for personal gain. Any damages awarded would go to the company itself, with the claim centering on the argument that leadership breached its duties by failing to manage copyright risk tied to Alphabet’s AI development.
The case adds Alphabet’s leadership to the growing list of AI companies and executives facing legal scrutiny over training data sourced from copyrighted works, a issue that has become a flashpoint across the music and entertainment industries.
Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.