A consortium of eight US newspapers has initiated legal action against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement.
The lawsuit, filed in a New York federal court, accuses the technology companies of unlawfully using millions of copyrighted news articles to train their artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot without authorization or compensation.
Among the newspapers involved in the lawsuit are prominent publications such as The New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, and Denver Post. Frank Pine, executive editor for the MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing, emphasized the significant investment made by these publications in gathering and reporting news. Pine stated that allowing OpenAI and Microsoft to utilize their work without permission undermines their efforts and unfairly benefits the tech companies.
The other newspapers joining the lawsuit include MediaNews Group’s Mercury News, Orange County Register, and St. Paul Pioneer-Press, as well as Tribune Publishing’s Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel, all owned by Alden Global Capital.
In response, OpenAI expressed its commitment to supporting news organizations and highlighted ongoing efforts to engage in constructive partnerships and discussions with various media outlets worldwide. The company stated that while it was not previously aware of the concerns raised by Alden Global Capital, it remains open to addressing any issues and finding solutions collaboratively.
This lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges against OpenAI and Microsoft, already facing copyright lawsuits from The New York Times, other media entities, and bestselling authors like John Grisham and George R. R. Martin. Similar lawsuits have been filed in San Francisco’s federal court.
Tech companies have defended their practices, citing the “fair use” doctrine of American copyright law to justify the use of publicly available internet content for AI training.
Some companies have opted to settle potential legal disputes by entering into licensing agreements with content providers. For example, OpenAI has secured licensing deals with major media organizations worldwide, including Axel Springer, Prisa Media, Le Monde, and the Financial Times.
