From Sony Music’s 260,000 deepfake takedowns to Suno’s reside music enlargement… it’s MBW’s Weekly Spherical-Up

This week, Sony Music revealed it has now requested platforms to take away greater than 260,000 AI deepfakes impersonating artists together with Harry Kinds, Adele, and Michael Jackson.

In the meantime, Suno is going through an investigation in Italy over its phrases of service, as scrutiny of AI music platforms continues to develop.

Elsewhere, the US Copyright Workplace launched a public inquiry into streaming fraud — a day after Michael Smith was sentenced to 18 months in jail over an $8 million AI-song-and-bot scheme.

Additionally this week, Suno employed Ticketmaster‘s Michael Chua to steer its reside music operations, together with concert-discovery platform Songkick.

Listed below are a few of the largest headlines from the previous few days…

1. Sony Music has now requested platforms to take away greater than 260,000 AI deepfakes imitating artists like Harry Kinds, Adele, and Michael Jackson

By the top of September, Sony Music had requested digital platforms to take down greater than 260,000 AI-generated tracks impersonating its artists.

That’s nearly double the 135,000 tracks it had sought to take away by the top of March, in accordance with the Monetary Instances, which reported the brand new determine on Monday (October 5).

To slice the numbers one other approach: they counsel that, on common, Sony issued over 20,000 AI deepfake takedown requests monthly in Q2 and Q3 (April 1 – Sept 30). (MBW)

2. Suno faces investigation in Italy over phrases of service

Italy‘s competitors authority has opened an investigation into Suno‘s phrases of service.

The Italian Competitors Authority (AGCM) mentioned on Tuesday (October 6) that the AI music firm’s phrases “could also be unfair pursuant to Article 33 of the Client Code” as a result of they “might create a major imbalance within the rights and obligations underneath the contract, to the detriment of shoppers.”

The AGCM‘s issues embody value adjustments, account terminations, US-based arbitration, and a content material license that it says requires customers to waive their ethical rights. (MBW)

3. Music streaming fraud inquiry launched by US Copyright Workplace

The US Copyright Workplace (USCO) has launched a public inquiry into music streaming fraud.

The Workplace printed a discover of inquiry within the Federal Register on Wednesday (October 7), looking for data on how streaming fraud is carried out, its financial affect, and its relationship to AI-generated music.

Written feedback are due by November 23, with reply feedback due by December 21. (MBW)

4. Michael Smith, man behind $8M AI track and bot streaming fraud, sentenced to 18 months in jail

Michael Smith has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for a streaming fraud scheme that prosecutors say introduced him greater than USD $8 million in royalties.

US District Choose John G. Koeltl handed down the sentence in Manhattan federal courtroom on Tuesday (October 6), the US Lawyer’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York introduced.

Smith, 54, of Cornelius, North Carolina, pleaded responsible in March to at least one depend of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. (MBW)

5. Suno hires Ticketmaster’s Michael Chua to steer its reside music workforce, together with Songkick

Suno has employed Michael Chua from Ticketmaster as Vice President and Basic Supervisor of Suno Reside Experiences.

Within the function, Chua will lead the AI music firm’s reside music operations, which embody live performance discovery platform Songkick.

Suno acquired Songkick from Warner Music Group in November 2025, as a part of the licensing settlement that settled WMG’s copyright lawsuit towards the corporate. (MBW)