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AI Lawsuit: Music Giant Sues AI Over Song Lyrics
19 Mar
Summary
- BMG sued Anthropic for unauthorized use of song lyrics in AI training.
- The lawsuit claims AI chatbot 'Claude' used lyrics from famous artists.
- BMG seeks damages and a court order for training data disclosure.
Music rights management firm BMG has initiated legal action against AI company Anthropic, asserting that the firm has infringed upon the rights of numerous songwriters. The lawsuit, filed in California federal court, accuses Anthropic of utilizing lyrics from artists such as Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, and The Rolling Stones to train its Claude chatbot without obtaining the necessary authorization.
BMG contends that Anthropic's infringement began with its founding, employing automated scraping tools to copy text from online sources and pirate libraries. The complaint further alleges that Anthropic facilitates and profits from copyright infringement by its users. The music company highlights that Claude has been observed generating entire songs, including well-known hits like "Uptown Funk" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want," indicating direct use of BMG-managed compositions.
The legal filing asserts that Anthropic has ignored a cease-and-desist letter sent in December 2025 and has not engaged in licensing discussions. BMG is demanding up to $150,000 per infringed work and a court order compelling Anthropic to reveal specifics about its training data and methods. The firm accuses Anthropic of continuing its alleged unlawful activities despite ongoing legal challenges and the availability of ethical AI development practices.
