Music Copyright Cases: One Dismissed, One Reignited

Two high-profile cases are shaking up how the music industry navigates legal risks — one around reputation, the other around AI. A federal judge has dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us, ruling that the lyrics were clearly opinion, not fact. Meanwhile, music publishers have revived their copyright lawsuit against AI company Anthropic after the company’s own documents suggested its chatbot could reproduce protected lyrics. Together, the cases show how defamation and copyright claims are evolving in today’s digital music landscape.

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ChaseLawyers Newsletter
October 14, 2025

Hi there,

This week’s newsletter looks at two legal battles rooted in music — but with very different legal claims.

First, the court has dismissed Drake’s defamation suit against Universal Music Group. He had argued that by releasing Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us, the label helped spread false and damaging claims. But the judge ruled the lyrics were opinionated trash talk — not something a reasonable person would take as fact.

Meanwhile, the fight over AI-generated lyrics continues. Music publishers have successfully revived their lawsuit against Anthropic, citing internal safeguards that admit the risk of copyright infringement. With the case moving forward, the music industry’s legal war with generative AI is far from over.

Judge Tosses Drake’s Defamation Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar Diss Track

A federal judge has dismissed Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group, which claimed the label defamed him by releasing and promoting Not Like Us. The court ruled the song’s accusations — including references to pedophilia — were clearly hyperbolic and part of a rap battle, not factual claims. “A reasonable listener,” the judge wrote, “would not understand this to be literal.” The case underlines how tough it is for public figures to meet the legal bar for defamation — especially in the context of artistic expression.

Anthropic’s Own Guardrails Reignite AI Music Copyright Lawsuit

A federal judge has allowed music publishers to proceed with their copyright infringement case against Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude. The lawsuit alleges that Claude can reproduce full copyrighted lyrics when prompted — a claim Anthropic hoped to dismiss early. But a twist in the case came from Anthropic’s own “guardrails,” which it disclosed as part of its defense. The judge found that these internal safety tools, designed to block copyrighted responses, actually supported the publishers' claims that the system can generate protected material. With this decision, the case moves forward — and may set a major precedent for how AI interacts with copyrighted music.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Universal Music Group Beats Drake’s “Not Like Us” Defamation Suit

A judge ruled Not Like Us is protected speech and doesn’t qualify as defamation, ending Drake’s case against UMG.

Anthropic’s own guardrails revive full copyright lawsuit from litigious music publishers

Music publishers are back in court with Anthropic — and this time, the judge says their copyright claims have legal legs.

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