Elvis and Eminem Rightsholders Sue AI Startup Suno Over Copyright Infringement
Rightsholders for Elvis Presley and Eminem have sued AI startup Suno in federal court for copyright infringement, alleging unauthorized training on protected songs and voice cloning.
Rightsholders representing Elvis Presley and rapper Eminem have filed lawsuits against artificial intelligence startup Suno, accusing the company of unlawfully utilizing hundreds of copyrighted songs to train its music-generation models without authorization.
The lawsuits were filed in a federal court in California, adding to a growing wave of legal challenges against generative AI firms over allegations of unauthorized copying, voice cloning, and commercial exploitation of artist catalogs.
The estate of Elvis Presley claims that Suno not only used the legendary artist's catalog for system training but also enabled users to generate new tracks mimicking his distinct voice and musical style. According to the legal filing, the core elements of Presley's artistic identity were scraped and stored on servers to generate substantial commercial revenue.
Simultaneously, Eight Mile Style, the company holding rights to hundreds of compositions by Eminem, filed a separate action against Suno. The complaint cites major hits including Lose Yourself, The Real Slim Shady, and Stan, though Eminem himself is not a named party to the lawsuit.
Suno rejected the allegations. A company spokesperson stated that Suno is designed to empower original music creation rather than exploit personal likenesses, adding that the platform employs strict anti-infringement measures, blocks specific artist names, and utilizes filtering tools to prevent copyright violations.
Founded in 2022, Suno allows users to input text prompts and receive fully orchestrated songs with vocals within seconds. The startup has previously faced legal scrutiny, including ongoing copyright infringement litigation filed by major record labels such as Sony and Universal Music Group.
The broader legal battle surrounding AI and music intensified following the 2023 viral track Heart on My Sleeve, which used voice cloning to replicate artists Drake and The Weeknd. Other musicians are actively taking defensive measures; pop star Taylor Swift recently filed trademark applications in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Australia to protect her voice and public likeness from unauthorized AI generation.
