Elvis Presley Enterprises sues Suno over voice imitation

Elvis Presley Enterprises sues Suno

Elvis Presley Enterprises filed a lawsuit against Suno in US District Court for the Northern District of California on November 6, 2026.

“Suno is the embodiment of why the ELVIS Act (Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security) was so essentially required”

Suing under Tennessee’s ELVIS Act

The lawsuit targets Suno’s AI music generator under Tennessee’s ELVIS Act, which protects a person’s voice and likeness.

ELVIS Act definition of voice

The ELVIS Act defines a voice as a sound readily identifiable and attributable to a particular individual, whether real or simulated.

Suno’s defense in Isbell case

Suno argued in the Isbell case that users typing artist names into prompts do not constitute unauthorized use of the artist’s name.

Suno’s product features

The complaint alleges Suno’s system treats Presley’s name as a retrieval key and saves voices for reuse to generate new tracks.

Tennessee law applies

Elvis Presley Enterprises argues Tennessee law should govern the case because Presley was domiciled there when he died in 1977.

Suno’s Army service claim

Elvis Presley Enterprises claims Presley’s Army service qualifies him as a member of the armed forces under the ELVIS Act.

Suno’s motion in Boston

Suno’s motion in Boston argues that users typing artist names into prompts do not constitute unauthorized use of the artist’s name.

Suno’s defense on copyright

Suno claims the musicians’ claims are preempted by the federal Copyright Act and barred by the First Amendment.

Suno’s output examples

Suno generated tracks like 'He Is Still The King' from lyrics alone, spelling out Presley’s name with spaces between letters.

What happens next

The case was assigned to Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero on November 9, 2026, with Suno’s response pending.

Suno’s response

Suno states it exists to help users create original music and prohibits unauthorized use of artists’ names or likenesses.