The University of Tennessee Research Foundation has sued Anthropic, the developer of the Claude models. The organisation alleges that the company has unlawfully used two patents relating to machine learning inspired by the functioning of the nervous system. The complaint has been filed with the federal court in Delaware and is considered to be the first patent lawsuit against Anthropic.
The foundation, known as UTRF, is responsible for protecting and commercialising intellectual property developed at the University of Tennessee. According to the complaint, the protected technologies are relevant to artificial intelligence, machine learning, neuromorphic computing and neuroscience-inspired technologies.
UTRF claims that Anthropic’s systems use patented methods without the necessary licence. The foundation is seeking damages, the amount of which has not been specified, and a court injunction to prevent further patent infringement. Anthropic rejects the allegations. A company spokesperson has stated that the company will vigorously defend its position.
At this stage, the allegations have not been confirmed by the court. The lawsuit sets out the position of the patent holder, who will have to demonstrate that the solutions used by Anthropic fall within the scope of patent protection.
This new case adds to the legal challenges facing the generative AI sector. Until now, disputes over the materials used to train models have attracted the most attention. On 20 July 2026, a Californian court approved a $1.5 billion settlement between Anthropic and authors and publishers. The case concerned pirated copies of over 482,000 books, and the settlement is described as the largest known settlement in a US copyright dispute.
The legal risks for AI developers are no longer limited to training data. Patents relating to architecture, training methods and the operation of models may also become increasingly significant. A potential victory for the foundation could prompt technology companies to scrutinise more closely the rights to the solutions used in building AI systems.
