Eight U.S. Newspapers File Copyright Infringement Suit Against OpenAI and Microsoft

In a significant legal move, eight U.S. newspapers have initiated a lawsuit against AI innovator OpenAI, best known for ChatGPT, and tech giant Microsoft. The suit, filed in a federal court in New York, accuses both companies of inappropriately using millions of copyrighted news articles to train their AI systems without obtaining authorization or offering compensation.

Lawsuit Details

The plaintiffs in this notable case include prominent publications such as the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, and others under the ownership of Alden Global Capital. Frank Pine, top editor at MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing, expressed the collective sentiment of the newspapers, emphasizing the extensive resources invested in gathering and reporting news and rejecting the notion of tech entities benefiting from this endeavor without due recompense.

Other newspapers joining the suit are the MediaNews Group's Mercury News, Orange County Register, St. Paul Pioneer-Press, and Tribune Publishing's Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel. The legal action underscores a growing contention between journalistic entities and the burgeoning AI technology sector over intellectual property rights.

Company Responses

While Microsoft refrained from commenting on the lawsuit, OpenAI issued a statement acknowledging their intent to uphold a supportive relationship with news organizations and their readiness to address concerns presented by Alden Global Capital. This lawsuit adds to a mounting pile of legal challenges for OpenAI and Microsoft in Manhattan's federal court, including proceedings initiated by the New York Times and a group of popular authors.

The heart of the debate hinges on the interpretation of the 'fair use' doctrine, with tech companies arguing that using vast amounts of internet content to train AI is permissible under this provision. Some companies have navigated potential legal strife by securing paid agreements for content use.

OpenAI's past dealings have involved partnerships where they've compensated organizations like the Associated Press and inked licensing agreements with international media houses. However, not all content use has resulted in such agreements, leading to the current copyright confrontation.

lawsuit, copyright, AI