Elvis Presley rights holders and publishers of Eminem compositions filed separate federal lawsuits against Suno on November 6, 2026, adding voice-rights and copyright claims to the AI music company’s legal disputes.
The complaints were filed in the Northern District of California. Their allegations have not been adjudicated, and no merits ruling was identified in either new case.
Presley voice and song rights
Elvis Presley Enterprises and other plaintiffs’ complaint invokes Tennessee’s ELVIS Act and common-law publicity rights over alleged unauthorized use of Presley’s voice and identity. It also asserts copyright claims covering 859 works, including songs associated with other artists—not 859 Elvis recordings.
The plaintiffs allege unauthorized copying for training and storage, as well as separate infringement through generated outputs. They seek injunctions and damages, including up to $128.85 million in statutory copyright damages, plus additional relief on other claims. None has been awarded.
Eminem compositions
Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated’s separate complaint concerns 269 compositions, including “Lose Yourself” and “The Real Slim Shady.” Eminem himself is not a named plaintiff.
Those publishers allege copying into training datasets and repositories, alongside separate output and derivative-work infringement. They request up to $40.35 million in statutory copyright damages, plus $672,500 for alleged access-control circumvention and $6.725 million for alleged removal or alteration of copyright-management information. These are demands, not awards.
Both suits assert circumvention and copyright-information claims distinct from copyright infringement. Neither complaint seeks class treatment.
Suno told CBS Detroit it blocks artist/song-name prompts and screens uploads for misuse.
For broadcasters, music publishers and creators, the business issue is whether permission to use songs also addresses the separate interests asserted in a performer’s voice and identity. These new complaints establish no precedent or new broadcaster obligation.
The cases are Nos. 3:26-cv-13398 and 3:26-cv-13399. They are separate from the Presley-related Anthropic case and the musicians’ proposed class action against Suno.