November 2, 2026, 7:04 am | Read time: 2 minutes
The handling of protected content by AI models remains a hot topic. Now, it’s affecting Anthropic. Rights holders of Elvis Presley’s music accuse the company behind the AI chatbot Claude of using the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s” songs for training its AI without the proper license.
The lawsuit centers on 274 songs. The demand is significant, totaling $41.1 million in damages, approximately 36.6 million euros. But that’s not all—the plaintiffs also seek a permanent injunction and the destruction of unauthorized copies. How this will be technically implemented is unknown.
What Claude Is Alleged to Have Done with the Songs
This is according to a report from the entertainment industry magazine “Billboard.” The affected songs include well-known Elvis titles such as “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” and “A Little Less Conversation.” It appears the issue is not only about the data used to train Claude. The lawsuit claims that the chatbot’s safeguards do not reliably prevent copyrighted material from resurfacing. For example, if Claude is asked for a modified version of an Elvis song, the AI is said to be able to reproduce melodies and choruses almost identically.
Also of interest: Elvis performs concerts as a hologram! How does this technology work?
It’s a Fundamental Question for AI
Anthropic denies the allegations and plans to fight the lawsuit. The company relies on the U.S. fair use principle for training its models. This case is part of a larger conflict between AI providers and the music industry. Universal, Sony, Warner Chappell, and BMG are also taking legal action against AI companies and services like Suno.