Anthropic Seeks Dismissal in AI Copyright Lawsuit

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic is asking a federal court to dismiss parts of a copyright lawsuit. Music publishers, including Universal Music Group, claim Anthropic used copyrighted song lyrics without permission to train its AI chatbot, Claude. The publishers filed their lawsuit in 2025, alleging Anthropic copied and stored thousands of protected lyrics. They argue the company should have obtained licenses for this AI training. Anthropic, however, contends that several of these claims lack legal support. The company specifically wants allegations of contributory and vicarious copyright infringement dismissed. If granted, this motion would narrow the lawsuit but not end it. The publishers' primary copyright infringement claims would still proceed. This dispute is a closely watched legal battle, questioning if AI companies can train models using copyrighted works without permission. Anthropic suggests its use might be fair use under U.S. copyright law. This case could significantly influence how AI companies develop future models and how the music industry approaches licensing agreements.