USA Today Joins Lawsuit Against OpenAI
▼ Summary
– USA Today Co. has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging copyright infringement for using hundreds of thousands of articles to train AI models without permission.
– The publisher is seeking damages exceeding $250 million, claiming that OpenAI’s unauthorized use of content caused real and continuing harm to its outlets.
– The lawsuit asserts that OpenAI’s commercial success is built on large-scale copyright infringement by taking USA Today’s content to build products worth billions.
– Several local newspapers owned by USA Today Co., including The Tennessean and Indy Star, are also included as plaintiffs in the legal action.
– OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations made in the filing.
USA Today Co. has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that the artificial intelligence giant engaged in widespread copyright infringement by copying hundreds of thousands of articles to train its language models. The legal action, which includes several local newspapers owned by the publisher, seeks more than $250 million in damages. According to the filing submitted on Thursday, the unauthorized use of these publications has caused significant and ongoing financial harm to the media outlets involved.
The complaint asserts that OpenAI’s profitability is directly tied to this alleged theft. “OpenAI’s commercial success rests on large-scale copyright infringement,” USA Today Co.’s lawsuit claims. The publisher argues that the company bypassed standard licensing agreements and permission processes. Instead, it “took” USA Today’s content to “build products worth hundreds of billions of dollars.” This aggressive stance highlights the growing tension between traditional media companies and AI developers regarding data usage rights.
In addition to the national brand, the lawsuit encompasses a range of regional news organizations. Included among the plaintiffs are The Tennessean, Indy Star, The Columbus Dispatch, The Oklahoman, and various other local outlets. By joining forces, these publishers aim to establish a precedent for how their copyrighted material can be used in machine learning training datasets. The collective nature of the suit underscores the industry-wide concern over intellectual property protection in the age of generative AI.
As of the time of the filing, there was no immediate acknowledgment from the defendant. OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment. This silence leaves the allegations unchallenged at this stage, though the company has previously argued that using public data for AI training falls under fair use principles. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for how tech firms access journalistic content for future model development.
(Source: The Verge)
