Sony and Warner sue Anthropic over copyrighted song lyrics

Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music have sued Anthropic in the United States, accusing the AI company of using copyrighted song lyrics on a large scale while developing and operating Claude. NOS reported the case on August 31, 2026, based on a complaint made public through Music Business Worldwide. The filing names songs including Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You, Taylor Swift’s Paper Rings and Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger. The publishers say they do not yet know the total number of works involved.\n\nAccording to the publishers’ allegations, Anthropic downloaded or otherwise obtained unauthorised copies of lyrics and used them in its AI work. They also claim that Claude can return lyrics literally or almost literally when users ask for them. The complaint argues that this harms songwriters and music publishers because lyric websites operate with licences and commercial models, while Anthropic allegedly used the material without paying for comparable rights. These are claims in a lawsuit, not findings that a court has already established.\n\nThe publishers are asking the court to stop the alleged infringement and award damages. Anthropic disputes the allegations. In a response reported by NOS, the company said it disagreed with the claims and intended to defend itself robustly in court. The case therefore adds a new legal dispute to an already important question for generative AI: when does using protected creative work to train or operate a model require permission, and what obligations apply when a model reproduces that work for a user?\n\nThe development matters beyond music. Song lyrics are a clear example of creative text with identifiable authors, rights holders and existing licensing markets. A ruling could influence how AI companies document training data, build safeguards against memorised output and negotiate licences with publishers. It may also affect how businesses assess the legal and reputational risks of using AI systems for creative work.\n\nFor users and makers, the immediate lesson is practical. Do not treat a chatbot as a licensed lyrics database, and do not assume that a fluent answer is cleared for publication or commercial use. For music companies, the lawsuit is another attempt to establish control and compensation in an AI market that depends on vast collections of human-made material. The court’s eventual decisions will help determine whether that market develops through litigation, licensing, or a combination of both.