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Elvis Estate, Eminem Publisher File Lawsuits Against AI Startup Suno

An Elvis Presley music rightsholder and the publisher of many of Eminem's songs have filed sprawling new lawsuits against the AI music generator Suno. A collection of Elvis Presley music rightsholders and the publisher of many of Eminem‘s records have filed sprawling new federal lawsuits against the AI music generator Suno, with each party making separate allegations that add to the AI company’s le

Truvace record3 min read2 sourcesEvidence: Moderate · 70/100 — Regulatory or legal action · 2 independent sourcesJournalism ×2TRV-2026-2422 · cite or check it
Elvis Estate, Eminem Publisher File Lawsuits Against AI Startup Suno

In brief

A group of Elvis Presley rightsholders, including Authentic Brands Group and Raleigh Music Publishing, sued AI music generator Suno in the Northern District of California. Their 51-page filing alleges copyright infringement and a violation of Tennessee's 2024 ELVIS Act, which bars AI voice cloning. Eight Mile Style, which controls hundreds of Eminem recordings including "Lose Yourself", filed a separate copyright suit.

The same attorneys represent both plaintiffs. They argue Suno encoded artists' identities and creativity to make money, and that its tool could make human creativity obsolete. Eminem is not individually part of the suit.

Suno denies wrongdoing. A spokesperson said the company prohibits prompts for specific artists' names and songs and screens uploaded audio and lyrics. The cases add to suits from Round Hill Music, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and singer Jason Isbell, though the suits have not hurt Suno's valuation.

Main points

  1. The Presley suit cites Tennessee's ELVIS Act, a 2024 law against AI cloning of singers' voices, and alleges Suno let users generate tracks mirroring his "rich vocal timbre".
  2. Eight Mile Style controls hundreds of Eminem recordings, including "Lose Yourself", "Without Me" and "The Real Slim Shady".
  3. Both complaints include examples of generated songs said to sound like Presley or to replicate Eminem's lyrics.
  4. Suno says it blocks prompts naming specific artists and songs and screens uploads with third-party providers.
  5. In the Isbell-led class-action bid, plaintiffs say users got around name filters by using real names, misspellings or spaces between letters.
  6. Authentic Brands and other Presley publishers sued Anthropic last month over 274 songs, seeking $48.6 million; Anthropic denies it.
  7. Eight Mile Style sued Meta in June for about $110 million over 243 recordings, and a federal judge in Michigan let that case proceed to discovery.
  8. Suno raised $400 million in June at a $5.4 billion valuation, and the suits have not affected its market value.

The problem

Elvis Presley rightsholders and Eminem's publisher Eight Mile Style allege in federal lawsuits that Suno lets users generate songs that mimic Presley's voice and replicate Eminem's lyrics without a licence.

The full story

The Presley complaint says Suno exploits his identity whenever users cite his name, and that it breaks the ELVIS Act by allowing songs that mirror his voice without permission. The attorneys wrote that "The next Elvis won't pick up a guitar", arguing Suno replicates in seconds what takes artists years to learn.

The case is described as the latest test of whether an artist or estate can use the courts to protect name, image and likeness from AI use without authorisation or compensation. The Isbell suit alleges users bypass Suno's restrictions with prompts invoking an artist's "tone and phrasing". Suno told the court there was "nothing unlawful" about asking for a song in the vein of an artist.

The same parties have sued other AI firms: the Presley group sued Anthropic over Claude's training on 274 songs, and Eight Mile Style sued Meta. Suno has settled with Warner Music Group and struck deals with WMG, BMG and Believe that supported its "v6" model released in September. UMG and Sony Music sued over that model, calling it "the fruit of the same poisoned tree."

Sources

  1. JournalismVariety2026-11-07
  2. JournalismVICE2026-11-07

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