Claude AI-maker ​Anthropic skips immediate legal restrictions in music copyright case

Claude AI-maker Anthropic has reportedly persuaded a California federal judge to reject a preliminary injunction sought by Universal Music Group and other music publishers. The publishers aimed to prevent Anthropic from using their song lyrics to train its AI chatbot, Claude. According to a Reuters report, US District Judge Eumi Lee ruled that the publishers' request was overly broad and that they did not demonstrate that Anthropic's actions caused them irreparable harm.

The music publishers, including UMG, Concord, and ABKCO, filed a lawsuit against Anthropic in 2023, alleging copyright infringement involving lyrics from at least 500 songs by artists such as Beyoncé and the Rolling Stones. They claimed that Anthropic used these lyrics without permission to train Claude to respond to human prompts.
This lawsuit is among several asserting that AI companies have misused copyrighted works without consent or payment to develop AI products.
Tech companies, including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms, argue that their systems make "fair use" of copyrighted material under U.S. copyright law by studying it to create new, transformative content. Judge Lee's opinion did not specifically address the fair use issue.
Judge Lee rejected the publishers' argument that Anthropic's use of their lyrics caused them irreparable harm by diminishing their licensing market. She stated, "Publishers are essentially asking the Court to define the contours of a licensing market for AI training where the threshold question of fair use remains unsettled."
The publishers expressed continued confidence in their broader case against Anthropic. An Anthropic spokesperson stated that the company was pleased with the court's decision to deny the publishers' request.