Universal Music and Sony Music are challenging Lightspeed Venture Partners’ attempt to quash a subpoena concerning Suno. The demand seeks evidence about training data, licensing and investment risks.
Lightspeed, which backed Suno’s Series B, C and D funding rounds, filed its motion a month ago. The labels recently submitted an opposition spanning nearly 30 pages in the underlying copyright infringement litigation.
Documents and testimony sought
The labels want documents and communications about business risks associated with Suno’s training data, including the artificial intelligence (AI) music platform’s “efforts or failure to license” that data.
They also identified 20 topics for deposition testimony, including:
- Legal risks involving training data.
- Investment due diligence.
- Lightspeed’s professional relationships with Suno executives.
- Lightspeed’s “understanding of SUNO’s impact or effect on the music industry.”
Lightspeed, a non-party represented by Latham & Watkins, which also represents Suno, argues that the testimony topics are “either already addressed by Lightspeed’s document production or” better directed to Suno.
The plaintiffs have also sought to establish Suno’s “training number” and obtain its licensing agreement with Warner Music.
Dispute over the discovery cutoff
The labels argue that Lightspeed’s repeated investments during the litigation warrant production of relevant documents created after the initial discovery window closed in June 2025.
The public filing contains redactions, including portions of Lightspeed’s investment thesis that the labels contend demonstrate “the market harm that contradicts Suno’s fair use defense.”
The filing also cites a magistrate judge’s earlier approval of a subpoena involving Udio investor a16z.
Separate artist lawsuit seeks delay
In another case against Suno, brought by artists including Tony Justice, both sides filed last week to move a scheduling conference from late October to early December.
The parties cited “the anticipated complexity of this case” and said they wanted:
“to discuss proposals for streamlining and coordinating discovery in light of other pending cases against Suno, which should lead to more efficient and streamlined adjudication of these proceedings in the long term.”
