Anthropic, one of the major players in today’s artificial intelligence industry, is now at the center of a legal storm. The local business Anthropic Software claims to have been using “Anthropic” as a name since as far back as 2017. As Anthropic grows its operations in India—a key AI market— confusion ensues among clients. That confusion is at the heart of a complaint recently filed by Anthropic Software.
The original complaint was first filed in January at a commercial court in the Indian southern state of Karnataka. It claims that Anthropic’s new presence in the Indian market has created widespread consumer confusion. On January 20, the court served notice and suit summons on Anthropic. Now they just need to answer the challenges posed by Anthropic Software.
We had a chance to get the perspective of Mohammadayyaz A. Mulla, founder and CEO of Anthropic Software on why this matters.
“As of now, I am exercising my legal right as it’s causing huge confusion to my customers.” – Mohammadayyaz A. Mulla
Anthropic Software would like to be credited with its prior use of that name. They’re not just seeking relief from future confusion, but from existing confusion in the marketplace. The company is seeking ₹10 million (about $110,000) in damages as part of its suit.
Anthropic is opening a new office in India just as the AI Impact Summit is set to occur in New Delhi. Dario Amodei, co-founder and CEO of Anthropic, is speaking at the summit. That’s why industry leaders are so excited to attend the summit. OpenAI’s Sam Altman, NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, and Google’s Sundar Pichai are just a few sure to command big attention there. India has become the world’s most populous nation. It is home to one of the world’s fastest-growing internet markets, adding intense pressure for companies who step into this cutthroat playspace.
The court case is still in its early stages, with a hearing set for February 16. This result has the potential to set a new precedent for challenging brand names. It will be hugely influential on the rapidly developing AI space in India.
Anthropic did not respond to requests for comment about the litigation while it is still undergoing legal challenge. This legal battle could have serious ramifications for either company. They are going to have to learn how to balance the marketing stakes with brand credibility and consumer confidence in a new frontier.