Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Sony, Warner Sue Anthropic Over Alleged Music Copyright Theft
Sony Music and Warner Chappell are companies that help own or manage rights to many songs.
They have sued Anthropic, the company that makes Claude, an AI system.
The publishers say Anthropic copied thousands of songs and other copyrighted works without permission.
They accuse the company of using pirate websites and other methods to collect the material.
The copied works were allegedly used to develop Claude.
The publishers want a jury to hear the case and are seeking money for each song that was improperly used.
Anthropic has rejected the allegations and says it will defend itself.
The case may help determine how AI companies can use copyrighted music when building their systems.
Sony Music and Warner Chappell, also identified as Warner Music in one report, sued Anthropic in federal court in Northern California.
The publishers accuse Anthropic, Dario Amodei, and Benjamin Mann of illegally torrenting, scraping, and downloading copyrighted works to develop Claude AI models.
The complaint alleges that thousands or tens of thousands of musical compositions were copied, including works such as "Eye of the Tiger," "Paper Rings," and "Hallelujah."
The publishers claim Anthropic obtained material from pirate archives including Library Genesis and Pirate Library Mirror.
They seek a jury trial and statutory damages of up to $150,000 per composition, while Anthropic says it will fight the allegations.
- Who
- Sony Music and Warner Chappell, identified as Warner Music in one article, sued Anthropic and named Dario Amodei and Benjamin Mann as defendants.
- What
- The publishers accuse Anthropic of illegally copying thousands of copyrighted musical works to develop and operate its Claude AI models.
- When
- The lawsuit was filed late Friday; the articles also reference a 2025 piracy case involving Anthropic.
- Where
- Federal court in Northern California.
- Why
- The publishers seek to enforce their intellectual-property rights and obtain damages for alleged unauthorized use of their compositions.
Music publishers’ allegations
Anthropic’s response and legal position
Use of copyrighted music
Music publishers’ allegations
The publishers say Anthropic conducted a massive campaign of torrenting, scraping, and downloading copyrighted works without permission to develop Claude.
Anthropic’s response and legal position
Anthropic has rejected the allegations and said it plans to fight the lawsuit.
Scale of alleged infringement
Music publishers’ allegations
The publishers describe the case as involving thousands or tens of thousands of musical compositions, potentially making it broader than BMG’s separate claim involving 493 compositions.
Anthropic’s response and legal position
The articles do not establish that Anthropic is legally responsible for the full number of works alleged by the publishers.
AI training and copyright rules
Music publishers’ allegations
The publishers argue that even revolutionary technology must operate within copyright law and that rights holders should be protected and compensated.
Anthropic’s response and legal position
Anthropic’s defense has not yet been detailed in the articles; the case remains part of an unresolved debate over whether AI companies may train systems on copyrighted material without permission or payment.
- Plaintiffs
- Sony Music and Warner Chappell; one report refers to the plaintiff as Warner Music
- Defendant
- Anthropic, developer of the Claude AI models
- Named executives
- CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei and co-founder Benjamin Mann
- Alleged number of works
- Thousands or tens of thousands of copyrighted musical compositions
- Alleged sources
- Library Genesis and Pirate Library Mirror, among other methods and sources
- Requested damages
- Up to $150,000 in statutory damages for each allegedly infringed composition
- Related Anthropic case
- The articles describe a 2025 piracy case involving more than seven million pirated books and a proposed or agreed $1.5 billion settlement with authors and publishers
