AI music company Suno asked a federal court on Tuesday to dismiss a class-action lawsuit brought by Americana singer Jason Isbell and other musicians, arguing that using artist names to describe musical styles is not unlawful, Variety reported¹.

Isbell, David Lowery, Guy Forsyth and Eduardo Calle sued Suno in August, alleging the service violates state publicity laws when users request tracks that sound like a musician’s output, according to Variety¹.

The case focuses on identity rather than copyright, which has driven other suits and settlements involving Suno, Variety said¹. The plaintiffs argued that publicity rights remain even if an artist settles a copyright claim or opts into training on their catalog¹.

They claimed Suno retained “voiceprints” that users could reach by prompts that avoid an artist’s name, including requests for “tone and phrasing,” real names instead of stage names, or spaced-out spellings, Variety reported¹.

Suno denied those claims, Variety said, and argued that invoking an artist’s name to describe a genre is protected by the First Amendment¹.

Suno attorney Andrew Gass wrote that people often use artist names as shorthand for a genre, Variety reported¹. Gass said Congress chose not to give intellectual-property protection to artistic style so later creators could build on a genre, and that the complaint would create a conflicting state-law IP regime¹.

The Tuesday filing, as quoted by Variety, said no state publicity right bars a musician from asking a producer for more of a Jason Isbell vibe and getting that result without copyright infringement or confusion about who is performing¹.

An attorney for the plaintiffs did not respond to Variety’s request for comment¹. What a court will do with the motion, and whether the class is certified, remains unknown¹.

Sources

1. VarietySuno Seeks to Dismiss Jason Isbell Lawsuit, Argues There’s ‘Nothing Unlawful’ About Invoking Artist Names to Describe Genres12:44 PM

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