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Music publishers and Anthropic argued cross-motions for summary judgment over Claude and song lyrics on 21 Oct 2026, with no ruling yet. The publishers are testing "market dilution", the theory that AI-written lyrics compete with human songwriters, which one 2025 ruling dismissed and another said could win.
Artist rightsvia US District Court, N.D. Cal. (via CourtListener)
Chappell Roan's two Super Graphic Spectacular shows at LA's Shrine Auditorium on 21 and 22 October raise money for her Midwest Princess Project. Twenty months after she told labels at the Grammys to give developing artists a living wage and health insurance, artists are still the ones writing the cheques.
Industryvia Chappell Roan (official site)
Fontaines D.C. say a VFX team used AI on "Marianne" without telling them, their label or management. Olivia Rodrigo's art team posted hand-drawn work to answer AI claims, and K.K. Downing defends an AI recreation of his younger self. Artists now carry the reputational risk of supply-chain choices they often never see.
AIvia Los Angeles Times
Reservoir Media has sued Suno over 1,050 songs and Anthropic over 853, asking for about $338 million in total. Its sharpest argument is that Suno's deals with Warner, BMG and Believe prove a market for training licences exists. That helps rights owners win; whether it pays songwriters is a separate question.
Artist rightsvia US District Court, Northern District of California (copy hosted by Music Business Worldwide)
Daisy the Great say an app called ADHD Vision has spent months running ads with an AI-made track that keeps the melody of "The Record Player Song" and swaps in new lyrics. The law already covers a copied melody. What indie acts lack is a fast, cheap way to get an ad taken down.
Artist rightsvia Daisy the Great (Instagram)
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