The legal battle between music publishers and AI company Anthropic over copyright infringement won't see a trial until 2026, highlighting the growing gap between rapid AI advancement and the pace of legal proceedings.

Universal Music Publishing Group, Concord, and other publishers sued Anthropic over its Claude chatbot, claiming copyright infringement during both the AI training process and in user-prompted outputs. Anthropic maintains its training methods qualify as fair use.

Key Timeline Points:

• Publishers propose trial between mid-March and April 1st, 2026
• Anthropic requests earlier dates between December 2025 and January 2026
• Dismissal motion due August 15th
• Preliminary injunction proceedings:
  • Anthropic's opposition due August 22nd
  • Publishers' reply expected September 12th
  • Hearing scheduled for October 10th

The RIAA recently submitted an amicus brief supporting publishers' call for a preliminary injunction to stop Anthropic from training on their compositions and using their materials in outputs.

The extended timeline raises concerns about the legal system's ability to address AI-related challenges effectively, especially given the technology's rapid evolution. By 2026, the AI landscape could be dramatically different, potentially affecting the case's relevance and impact.

This case represents a crucial test for how copyright law will adapt to AI technologies and could set important precedents for future disputes between content creators and AI companies.

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