Major Newspapers Sue OpenAI and Microsoft for Copyright Infringement
The Seattle Times and Newsday have initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming the tech companies have infringed on copyright by utilising their articles to develop AI models. The lawsuit highlights that OpenAI’s systems allegedly repurpose content from these newspapers when responding to user queries, without obtaining the necessary permissions.
Tech Giants Face Legal Challenges
The lawsuit follows similar accusations made by The New York Times, Ziff Davis, Merriam-Webster, and Encyclopedia Britannica. All allege that OpenAI used their content to train its artificial intelligence models, thus infringing upon copyright laws.
Local Newspapers Also Affected
The complaint further implicates Microsoft due to its integration of OpenAI’s technology in Copilot, a tool said to decrease traffic to the news websites by providing direct answers, impacting their subscription revenues. Around 400 local newspapers have already taken legal action against OpenAI and Microsoft for similar reasons.
Destruction of Models and Data Demanded
The Seattle Times and Newsday are pressing for the elimination of all AI models and datasets containing their content, in addition to any copies held by the companies. At present, neither OpenAI nor Microsoft has provided a statement regarding these legal claims.
Reporting based on coverage first published by theverge.com.