In a significant legal development, Universal Music Group, along with other music publishers, has filed a lawsuit against Anthropic, an AI company, for alleged unauthorized distribution of copyrighted song lyrics.
The lawsuit claims that Anthropic’s AI model, known as Claude 2, generated lyrics resembling existing copyrighted songs without proper authorization or inclusion of copyright management information. Notable songs mentioned in the lawsuit include Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ and Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive.’
This legal dispute arises within the context of a market where lyric distribution platforms typically obtain licenses to use copyrighted lyrics.
Lawsuit Against Anthropic for Distributing Copyrighted Lyrics
Universal Music Group and several music publishers have filed a lawsuit against Anthropic, an AI company, for distributing copyrighted lyrics.
The lawsuit alleges that Anthropic’s AI model, known as Claude 2, has been distributing lyrics that are protected by copyright law.
Examples of songs mentioned in the lawsuit include popular hits like ‘Roar’ by Katy Perry and ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor.
It is claimed that Anthropic’s AI model generated lyrics that were similar to existing songs, even when not specifically asked to recreate them.
The lawsuit accuses Anthropic of omitting critical copyright management information and distributing copyrighted material without permission.
This case highlights the ongoing challenge that the music industry faces in dealing with copyright infringement in the realm of generative AI.
Anthropic’s Response and Control Over Copyright Infringement
In response to the lawsuit filed against them by Universal Music Group and other music publishers, Anthropic claims to understand copyright law and its violation. They state that their AI model, Claude 2, refuses to respond to certain prompts that infringe copyright.
However, the plaintiffs argue that Anthropic failed to implement effective guardrails to prevent infringement.
Other Lawsuits Against Generative AI Platforms
Getty Images Lawsuit
In January 2023, Getty Images, a leading stock photo agency, filed a lawsuit against Stability AI, the creators of the Stable Diffusion generative AI image model.
Getty Images alleges that Stability AI copied and processed millions of images and associated metadata owned by Getty without permission.
This copying and processing, Getty Images argues, constitutes copyright infringement and trademark infringement.
This lawsuit is still ongoing, but it has the potential to have a significant impact on the development of generative AI.
If Getty Images is successful, it could set a precedent that would make it more difficult for companies to develop generative AI models without obtaining permission from the copyright holders of the data that they train on.
Other Developments in AI and Copyright
The recent advancements in AI and copyright have prompted various stakeholders, including the music industry, to explore new approaches and collaborations.
Universal Music Group, one of the major record labels, has announced collaborations with companies like Google to address AI issues.
The music industry is trying to strike a balance between protecting its rights and harnessing the potential of generative AI. Lawsuits have been filed against generative AI platforms for issues related to protected data and copyrighted art.
OpenAI, a leading AI research lab, is opening up access to its AI model DALL-E 3, while YouTube is exploring the creation of an official way to create AI-generated music.
These developments highlight the ongoing efforts to navigate the intersection of AI and copyright, as stakeholders seek to establish frameworks and guidelines to address potential infringements and ensure proper rights management in the AI era.
Universal Music Group’s Collaboration With AI Companies
Universal Music Group has been actively engaged in collaborations with various AI companies to address the intersection of AI and the music industry. These collaborations aim to explore the potential of AI in areas such as music creation, distribution, and copyright protection.
One notable collaboration is with Google, where Universal Music Group has joined forces to tackle AI-related issues.
The music industry is keen on finding ways to protect its rights while harnessing the power of generative AI. This collaboration reflects the industry’s recognition of the importance of AI in shaping the future of music.
