Elvis Presley rights holders sue Anthropic over alleged AI training on 274 songs

The companies that control Elvis Presley's music filed a lawsuit against Anthropic on October 23, 2026, accusing the maker of the Claude AI system of infringing 274 of his copyrighted songs by training its models on them without permission. Billboard first reported the filing.

What the complaint claims

According to Billboard, the suit names hits including "Can't Help Falling in Love," "A Little Less Conversation" and "Don't Be Cruel." It also cites "All Shook Up," "Return to Sender" and "(You're The) Devil in Disguise."

The case was brought by a unit of Authentic Brands Group, which Billboard describes as largely controlling the intellectual property rights to Presley, including much of his song catalog, his brand trademarks and the rights to his name, image and likeness. Other entities that own Elvis rights co-filed.

Billboard reports that the complaint largely follows earlier cases against AI firms, claiming Anthropic illegally used music en masse to build technology that produces "unlicensed derivative works." Lead attorney Richard Busch is quoted in the report as saying the plaintiffs are seeking to enforce their exclusive rights against a defendant "that has built its entire business model based on copyright infringement at a scale never seen before." He adds:

"The Elvis Plaintiffs are deeply protective of these iconic songs."

A representative for Anthropic did not immediately respond to Billboard's request for comment on Saturday.

Where it sits in the AI music litigation

Billboard characterizes the suit as by far the most high-profile legal action filed on behalf of an individual musician. Music companies such as Universal Music Group have already sued AI firms several times.

Much of the AI music litigation has centered on Suno, the AI song generator, which all three major music companies sued in 2024 over training allegations. Suno settled with Warner Music Group and has said it will partner with the music industry, but it still faces litigation from UMG and Sony Music, according to Billboard.

Anthropic has faced similar cases across creative industries, including from music publishers. AI companies argue that training is protected by the fair use defense. Billboard reports that the question remains pending across dozens of lawsuits, with billions of dollars in potential damages at stake.

Busch previously represented Eminem in cases over digital downloads in the 2000s. He also represented Marvin Gaye's estate against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, winning a verdict that "Blurred Lines" infringed Gaye's "Got to Give It Up," Billboard notes.