The estate of Elvis Presley is taking legal action against Anthropic, claiming that the AI company used his music without authorization to train its models. The lawsuit, filed by Authentic Brands Group, which oversees Presley’s intellectual property, accuses Anthropic of infringing on copyrights for 274 songs, including classics like “All Shook Up” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
According to the plaintiffs, this unauthorized use has persisted throughout the development of Anthropic’s Claude AI models. They argue that the AI not only reproduces lyrics from Presley’s songs but also creates unauthorized adaptations, threatening the integrity of the original works.
The lawsuit highlights the significant cultural impact of Presley’s catalog, describing it as “groundbreaking” and “enduring.” Richard Busch, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, emphasized their role as guardians of Elvis’s iconic music, stating that they are committed to protecting it fiercely.
In response, Anthropic has stated that it “disagrees with the claims and intends to defend this case fully.” The company has faced similar accusations in the past; it previously settled a high-profile copyright infringement lawsuit with authors for $1.5 billion concerning the use of pirated texts in training its models.
As the legal landscape evolves, this case adds to a growing list of lawsuits against AI companies for allegedly using copyrighted material without proper licensing. The Presley estate is seeking $41.1 million in damages and aims to prevent further infringement, including a request for the destruction of unauthorized copies.
Photo credit: Michael Ochs Archives
