A US federal judge is weighing if Anthropic's use of hundreds of copyrighted song lyrics to train Claude counts as fair use. This case could redefine AI development rules, as US courts offer conflicting fair use rulings. Meanwhile, India pushes a 'one nation, one licence' model for AI training.
How We Got Here
Universal Music Group, Concord, and ABKCO sued Anthropic in 2023, alleging the use of lyrics from artists like Beyoncé and the Rolling Stones. The Indian government proposed its mandatory licensing framework on December 8, 2025, as a working paper.
The Numbers
- Anthropic's lawyer, Sonal Mehta, argued the AI training leads to transformative content and causes no market harm.
- Publishers' lawyer, Matt Oppenheim, cited nearly 120,000 requests for "synthetic lyrics" over six months, arguing market competition.
- Two other US judges in 2025 reached different conclusions on whether AI training qualifies as fair use.
- India's proposed framework mandates royalties, decided by a government committee, for lawfully accessed works.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For Bangalore's 500+ AI startups, India's licensing shift could drastically alter data acquisition costs and development roadmaps.
The Take
The publishers will win this US fair use argument, forcing AI labs to pay up. India's government-set licensing model will become the global blueprint for fair compensation, side-stepping endless litigation.
Source:
MediaNama ↗