Anthropic is invoking a broad fair use argument to dismiss a lawsuit from music publishers over AI training on song lyrics, amid a wave of legal battles involving AI models and copyright infringement, including recent court rulings in Germany and the shutdown of pirate streaming sites.
Anthropic is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit brought by music publishers, arguing that training its AI models on song lyrics falls within fair use, according to reporting by Complete Music Update. The company is leaning on the same broad copyright defence that helped it secure an earlier win over book training, after a federal judge in California ruled in June 2025 that Anthropic’s use of books to train Claude was “exceedingly transformative” and did not unlawfully reproduce the authors’ work verbatim, CNBC reported.
The dispute also highlights a shift in how rights-holders are arguing against generative AI. According to Complete Music Update, publishers have increasingly turned to a market-dilution theory, saying AI systems can erode licensing revenue even when they do not copy works word for word. That approach has gained traction partly because other arguments, including claims based on exact reproduction, have found mixed success in court.
In a separate development, the Regional Court of Hamburg has granted Teradyne Robotics a preliminary injunction in its copyright case against Elite Robots Deutschland GmbH, according to company statements and reporting by The Robot Report. The court barred the German unit from offering or distributing software and products containing the disputed code in Germany and ordered it to disclose details of the alleged infringement and the customers it supplied.
The ruling comes amid a broader wave of litigation in robotics, where companies are increasingly using copyright and patent claims against overseas rivals. Meanwhile, TorrentFreak reported that dozens of pirate streaming sites have gone offline after backend providers stopped operating, leaving many pages returning a 521 error. Some of the affected sites were zombie brands, reviving the names of long-defunct pirate services that still draw large audiences despite their shaky foundations.
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The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article references recent events, including a German court ruling in favour of Teradyne Robotics and the shutdown of pirate streaming sites. However, the primary focus on Anthropic’s legal battles over AI training and copyright infringement has been covered in previous reports, with the earliest known publication date being October 19, 2023. ([pitchfork.com](https://pitchfork.com/news/music-publishers-sue-ai-company-anthropic-for-copyright-infringement/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from various sources. However, without access to the original sources, it’s challenging to verify the accuracy and context of these quotes. The reliance on secondary reporting raises concerns about the authenticity of the quotes.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The article cites multiple sources, including Complete Music Update, The Robot Report, and TorrentFreak. While these are known within their respective niches, they are not major news organisations. The lack of major news outlets as primary sources diminishes the overall reliability of the information presented.
Plausibility check
Score:
7
Notes:
The events described, such as the German court ruling and the shutdown of pirate streaming sites, are plausible and align with known industry trends. However, the article’s focus on Anthropic’s legal battles over AI training and copyright infringement has been covered in previous reports, with the earliest known publication date being October 19, 2023. ([pitchfork.com](https://pitchfork.com/news/music-publishers-sue-ai-company-anthropic-for-copyright-infringement/?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article presents information on recent legal developments involving Anthropic and Teradyne Robotics. However, the reliance on secondary sources, the inability to verify direct quotes, and the recycling of previously reported content raise significant concerns about the freshness, originality, and reliability of the information presented. ([pitchfork.com](https://pitchfork.com/news/music-publishers-sue-ai-company-anthropic-for-copyright-infringement/?utm_source=openai))