Anthropic sued by University of Tennessee Research Foundation over alleged patent infringement

Anthropic has been sued by the University of Tennessee Research Foundation over allegations that the Claude-maker infringed technology patents relating to artificial neural networks and machine-learning systems.

In a legal filing dated July 20, the University of Tennessee Research Foundation claimed that the patented technologies addressed technical problems linked to the development of artificial neural networks years before AI systems went commercial.

The lawsuit alleged that Anthropic had “made, used, sold, offered for sale, imported, and/or provided products and services that practice the inventions claimed in the Patents-in-Suit,” without authorisation from the foundation.

The foundation is seeking monetary ​damages, as well as an order to stop Anthropic from infringing its patents.

Anthropic disagreed with the allegations and stated its intentions to defend the case “vigorously,” according to a spokesperson quoted by Reuters.

The lawsuit also took note of past legal proceedings against Anthropic over alleged copyright violations.

“Anthropic is organized as a Public Benefit Corporation; however, it is a for-profit corporation that, in its short history, has been no friend to the developers and owners of intellectual property rights,” stated the filing.

On Monday (July 20, 2026), a U.S. federal judge approved a landmark $1.5 billion settlement to be shared amongst authors and publishers who had sued Anthropic over book piracy and alleged copyright violations.