Elvis estate sues Anthropic over 274 Presley songs

What happened: Owners of Elvis Presley's song catalogue have sued Anthropic. They allege the company trained Claude on 274 Presley songs without permission, according to a roundup summarising The New York Times.

The details: The suit was filed Friday (23 October) in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Plaintiffs include Authentic Brands Group, Raleigh Music Publishing, several trusts and at least one individual.

They also allege Anthropic circumvented protection measures and removed copyright management information.

The numbers: The plaintiffs want a jury trial and more than $41 million in damages. That works out at $150,000 per song.

In their words: Anthropic said it "disagrees and will defend itself". The roundup relays the statement and does not quote the Times verbatim.

The context: Music publishers including Universal Music Group and Concord sued Anthropic earlier over alleged use of pirated libraries. Potential damages in that case run to as much as $3 billion.

Why it matters: This is a second music-industry front against Anthropic. The claims go beyond training on the songs to include circumventing protections and stripping copyright management information.

The catch: The details come from a secondary summary. The original Times report was not read directly, so the filing details should be verified.

What's next: The plaintiffs have asked for a jury trial. Anthropic has said it will defend itself.