8 more newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft, alleging stolen content used in AI apps – JS
Eight Newspapers Sue OpenAI and Microsoft for Copyright Infringement
A group of eight newspapers owned or managed by MediaNews Group have filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the tech giants violated copyright law by using the news publishers’ content to develop and operate their artificial intelligence models.
The newspapers involved in the lawsuit are the Los Angeles Daily News, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, The Morning Call, Daily Camera, Daily Press, and The Virginian-Pilot.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks damages “in excess of $10 billion.”
According to attorney Steven Lieberman, who is representing the newspapers, OpenAI has been using valuable content from journalists without permission or compensation to power their AI products.
OpenAI and Microsoft have not yet responded to the allegations.
This is not the first time MediaNews Group has taken legal action against the tech giants. In April 2024, a similar lawsuit was filed by eight other publications owned or managed by MNG, including the Orange County Register, Mercury News, Denver Post, St. Paul Pioneer-Press, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun Sentinel, and New York Daily News.
The lawsuit claims that OpenAI and Microsoft have been using copyrighted articles to develop their AI products, such as ChatGPT and Copilot, without authorization.
The newspapers allege that the technology companies illegally harvested millions of copyrighted articles to create their AI products.
Frank Pine, MNG’s executive editor, stated that the lawsuit aims to hold OpenAI and Microsoft accountable for their actions and protect the newspapers’ content and business.
In a separate case, OpenAI is facing a court order to turn over internal communications regarding deleted pirated books used to train their AI models.
The legal battle between the newspapers and the tech giants continues as the publishers seek justice for the alleged copyright infringement.
