Chico Buarque sues Facebook over AI-generated video using his music without permission
Musician Chico Buarque sued Facebook after his copyrighted song "Cálice" was used without permission in an AI-generated political video posted on Instagram. A Brazilian court issued a preliminary injunction on 15 July 2025 ordering the removal of the content from specific URLs.
What happened
Chico Buarque's song 'Cálice' was used without authorization in an AI-generated political video published on Instagram. The video featured digital representations contrasting right and left-wing politics in Brazil, including a caricature of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Buarque filed a lawsuit against Facebook on 14 July 2025, seeking the immediate removal of the content and identification of the person responsible for the profile. A court issued a preliminary injunction on 15 July ordering the removal of the video from two specific Instagram URLs.
Reported impact
Buarque stated that his work was used in its entirety without permission, violating his copyright, and affirmed he would pursue legal action regardless of the political nature of the content.
Index analysis
The incident involved the use of copyrighted music in AI-generated content distributed on social media without the copyright holder's consent.
Governance controls
Facebook received a judicial order to remove the infringing content following the court's preliminary injunction.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.