Legal Tech Firm Sues Over Trump Administration's Export Ban on Anthropic AI

A U.S. legal technology firm has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's directive that restricts the export of Anthropic's artificial intelligence (AI) models.
Reuters reported on June 23 (local time) that Legion Legal Tech, a legal tech company headquartered in San Jose, California, filed the lawsuit in a Washington, D.C. federal court.
The company argues that the measure taken by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce—which restricts access to Anthropic's top-tier "Mythos 5" and "Fable 5" models for all foreign nationals both inside and outside the U.S.—is unlawful. They are requesting that the court invalidate and withdraw the directive.
Legion Legal Tech, which provides document drafting and case management software for attorneys, has been developing tools using Anthropic's AI models.
The company claims that the administration's export control directive has caused disruptions to its business operations, as its Canadian software development team members were immediately blocked from accessing the Anthropic AI models.
In the complaint, the firm stated, "The harm we have suffered is immediate, irreparable, and existential," adding, "Given the blindingly fast pace of development in cutting-edge AI technology, the competitive advantage lost during the service suspension cannot be recovered after the fact."
In addition to the main lawsuit, the company plans to file for a preliminary injunction to prevent the government from enforcing the directive.
Anthropic, which is not a party to this lawsuit, reaffirmed its existing position, stating, "We are working with the government to resolve this issue as quickly as possible."
On June 12, three days after Anthropic released the official versions of Mythos and Fable, the Department of Commerce announced an export control directive, citing concerns that these models could undermine national security and ordering a total suspension of access for all foreign nationals.
In response, Anthropic has blocked all users, regardless of nationality, from accessing the models for the time being.
Anthropic is currently embroiled in legal disputes with the U.S. government, having filed two lawsuits in March to challenge the Trump administration's efforts to oust its models, including the Department of Defense's designation of the company as a "supply chain risk."
In an interview with the online media outlet Axios on June 20, when asked whether he viewed Anthropic and its CEO as a national security threat, President Trump replied, "A week ago, maybe, but not now."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.