Anders v. Stability AI US Services Corporation

The Plaintiff, Jerry Anders, is a musician known professionally as Anders Manga. He is the author and copyright owner of multiple original musical compositions and sound recordings created and released prior to Defendants' infringing conduct.

The Complaint alleges that Defendant Stability AI operates an AI audio generation platform called "Stable Audio" which allows users to generate music and sound recordings. Defendant Navarr Enterprises (operating as AudioSparx) provided complete musical recordings via licensing to train Stable Audio's artificial intelligence model. Upon information and belief, Stable Audio was trained by copying, ingesting and analysing complete musical recordings delivered through AudioSparx's licensed music library. Anders' copyrighted works were registered with the United States Copyright Office on 7 July 2009, with registration numbers SR 631-929, SR 631-927, SR 631-923 and SR 631-925, entitling him to statutory damages and attorney fees under 17 U.S.C. §§ 504-505. The Complaint contends that through AudioSparx's licensed music library, Defendants had access to Anders' copyrighted works both prior to and during Stable Audio's training. In training Stable Audio, Defendants copied Anders' works without his authorisation. Moreover, Anders' 2015 agreement with AudioSparx did not grant Defendants authorisation to copy, reproduce or use his works for AI training. After Stable Audio's public launch, AudioSparx publicly represented that artists participating through its platform could opt in or out of Stable Audio model training at their own volition. When Anders sought to exercise that opt-out and requested removal of his music from AudioSparx's catalogue, AudioSparx denied his request and thereafter distributed his works to Stability AI, as reflected in AudioSparx's own AI royalty statements. In late 2025, Anders again sought removal of his works from AI-related licensing and formally demanded that both AudioSparx and Stability AI remove his works from any Stable Audio-related dataset or licensing. Despite this notice, Defendants continued to commercially exploit models and datasets derived from unauthorised copies of Anders' works. Harm suffered includes loss of control over his creative output and unauthorised commercial exploitation.

The Plaintiff asserts a sole cause of action for copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 501, alleging that the Defendants copied and reproduced his copyrighted works in violation of his exclusive rights and engaged in commercial AI training and model commercialisation purposes not contemplated by, disclosed in, or authorised under the AudioSparx licence. Relief sought comprises statutory damages pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 504(c), injunctive relief prohibiting further infringement, costs and attorney fees pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 505, and pre- and post-judgment interest at the maximum legal rate.