Deal Announcement: Manatt Represents BMG in Copyright Infringement Suit

A Manatt litigation team filed a copyright infringement lawsuit on behalf of BMG Rights Management against Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint alleges that Anthropic unlawfully used nearly 500 musical compositions managed by BMG—including works by Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, and the Rolling Stones—to train its Claude AI models without authorization. The suit raises significant issues at the intersection of copyright law and generative artificial intelligence, as music publishers and songwriters seek to protect their rights amid the rapid adoption of AI technologies.

“Anthropic has blatantly violated the copyright laws and caused direct harm to BMG and the songwriters it proudly represents,” the lawsuit says, asserting that the company’s rapid technological advancement occurred without appropriate licensing or compensation to rights holders. “Generations of inventors have brought revolutionary new products to market while complying with copyright law. Anthropic’s rapid development of its new technology is no excuse for its egregious law-breaking.”

The lawsuit has drawn industry attention, with coverage from leading publications including , , , and , among others. The case reflects ongoing efforts by music publishers to establish legal standards governing the use of copyrighted works in training generative AI systems.

The Manatt team representing BMG is led by Partners , ,  and Associate . Described by Billboard as a “powerhouse” entertainment law firm in its coverage of the case, Manatt remains deeply committed to protecting creator rights and advancing industry standards as generative AI continues to shape the music business.

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