Elvis and Eminem rights holders sue Suno over AI music clones

In short: Rights holders tied to Elvis Presley and Eminem have filed two new lawsuits against Suno, alleging the company’s AI makes unauthorized copies of their music style and voices.

What happened

A group that controls rights related to Elvis Presley’s music, along with a publisher for some of Eminem’s biggest records, is suing Suno. Suno is an AI music company that can generate songs from text prompts (like describing the kind of song you want, and the software produces it).

The lawsuits claim Suno can generate music and lyrics that mimic those artists. In simple terms, the plaintiffs say Suno’s tool can create tracks that sound like a copycat performance, even though the real artist did not sing or approve it.

The Presley-related lawsuit also points to Tennessee’s Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act, also called the ELVIS Act. This law makes it illegal for an AI company to clone a singer’s voice without permission (like making a convincing sound-alike recording using software).

The Verge notes these new cases look similar to an earlier lawsuit filed in September by musician Jason Isbell and others. That earlier lawsuit accused Suno of making imitations, but did not directly claim copyright infringement.

Suno spokesperson Cat McCormack told The Verge the company is meant to help people make new, original music. McCormack said Suno blocks prompts that ask for specific artists’ names and songs, and it uses third-party screening tools to check uploaded audio files and lyrics for misuse.

Why it matters

These lawsuits are part of a larger fight over who controls an artist’s voice and style in the age of AI. For everyday listeners, the outcome could affect what kinds of AI-made songs are allowed online, and how clearly platforms must separate real recordings from convincing sound-alikes.

Source: The Verge AI