Music company BMG Rights Management has filed a lawsuit against AI firm Anthropic, claiming it used copyrighted song lyrics without permission to train its chatbot, Claude.
The case was filed in a federal court in California and centers on allegations that Anthropic copied lyrics from major artists like Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, and The Rolling Stones. BMG says this happened without any license or approval.
According to the complaint, the AI company used automated tools to collect text from websites and even illegal online libraries. BMG claims this activity has been happening since Anthropic was founded in 2021.
According to RollingStone, the lawsuit states, "Anthropic's illegal conduct does not stop with these multiple direct infringements." It also claims the company "facilitates, encourages, and profits from copyright infringement" through users of its AI system.
Music company BMG Rights Management has sued artificial intelligence startup Anthropic in California federal court for allegedly using its copyrighted lyrics to train the large language models powering its Claude chatbot. https://t.co/IhpR7rL3A4
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BMG: Anthropic AI Used Hit Songs Without Permission
BMG argues there is clear proof. It says Claude has provided users with large parts of famous songs, including "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones.
The company believes this shows the AI was trained using protected music.
"BMG has never authorized Anthropic to use its copyrighted compositions in connection with Claude," the complaint states. It also says Anthropic ignored a cease-and-desist letter sent in December 2025 and did not try to get proper licenses.
The company is asking the court for damages of up to $150,000 for each work allegedly copied, ET reported.
It also wants Anthropic to reveal how its AI was trained, including what data was used and how the system works.
BMG stressed that fast growth in technology does not excuse breaking the law. "Anthropic's rapid development of its new technology is no excuse for its egregious law-breaking," the complaint reads.
The lawsuit lists 493 examples of alleged copyright violations, making it one of the bigger cases of its kind. It also claims Anthropic could stop the behavior at any time but has chosen not to.
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