Elvis Presley Enterprises, which controls intellectual property tied to the singer, has sued AI music company Suno. The complaint, filed Nov. 6, alleges that Suno copied Presley’s voice without authorization and used his copyrighted songs.
The rights owners say Suno let users clone Presley’s “unmistakable and iconic voice.” The company has argued that its tools do not allow users to imitate specific real voices. The complaint includes links to videos that, according to the plaintiffs, show Suno generating songs remarkably similar to Presley’s.
The case could become one of the first major lawsuits under Tennessee’s ELVIS Act, enacted in 2024. The law allows claims against companies that provide tools enabling unauthorized cloning of a person’s voice or image.
A spokeswoman for Authentic Brands Group, the parent company of Elvis Presley Enterprises, told Billboard on Saturday that the lawsuit and its evidence “speak for themselves.” A Suno spokeswoman said the service bars prompts using specific artists’ names and songs and works with third-party providers to screen uploaded audio and lyrics for potential misuse.
The lawsuit also alleges that Suno trained its models on Presley songs, including “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “A Little Less Conversation,” “All Shook Up,” “Return to Sender” and “(You’re the) Devil in Disguise.” The plaintiffs say the company is seeking to replace human artists.
The case adds to Suno’s legal challenges. In 2024, three major music companies sued the firm over the use of songs to train AI models. Suno later settled with Warner Music Group, but litigation with UMG and Sony Music is continuing.
