A U.S. legal technology firm, Legion LegalTech Corp, is suing the federal government over a directive from the Trump administration. The June 12 order by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security mandated Anthropic to restrict access to its AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, for foreign users. This resulted in Anthropic disabling access globally the same day.
Based in San Jose, California, Legion relies on Anthropic’s technology for its legal software, and the government’s action severed access for its Canadian development team, hindering its operations. The lawsuit states, "The harm to Legion is immediate, irreparable, and existential," emphasizing the rapid pace of AI advancements.
The lawsuit seeks to overturn the government’s directive and prevent enforcement. Anthropic has expressed appreciation for government cooperation in resolving the issue, while currently not involved in the litigation. This legal conflict is part of broader tensions between Anthropic and the United States, notably after the firm faced a supply-chain blacklist for refusing military engagements on AI capabilities.