On Tuesday, a federal judge in California ruled in favor of AI company Anthropic, rejecting an initial motion by music publishers to prevent the use of lyrics owned by Universal Music Group and others for training its AI chatbot, Claude.
U.S. District Judge Eumi Lee indicated that the publishers’ request lacked specificity and emphasized that they did not demonstrate that Anthropic’s actions resulted in “irreparable harm.”
The music publishers, which include UMG, Concord, and ABKCO, expressed confidence in their broader case against Anthropic after the court’s decision. An Anthropic representative remarked that the company was satisfied with the court’s dismissal of the publishers’ “disruptive and amorphous request.”
The lawsuit, filed in 2023, accuses Anthropic of violating copyright laws by using lyrics from a collection of over 500 songs by prominent artists, including Beyoncé, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys, without obtaining proper permissions.
The publishers allege that Anthropic employed these lyrics to enhance Claude’s responses to user prompts.
This case is part of a growing number of lawsuits addressing the alleged misuse of copyrighted material by various AI companies, covering works from authors, media outlets, visual artists, and others.
Leading technology firms, such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms, defend their use of copyrighted material by asserting that their processes fall under “fair use” provisions of U.S. copyright law, which allows for the study of existing works to create innovative and transformative content.
The question of fair use is anticipated to be a critical element in these ongoing legal battles, although Judge Lee’s ruling did not delve into this particular issue.
The judge dismissed the publishers’ claims that Anthropic’s use of their lyrics has harmed their licensing market. Lee pointed out that the publishers were effectively asking the court to outline a licensing framework for AI training, despite the unresolved nature of fair use in this context.
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