Over the past two years, numerous copyright lawsuits have been filed against AI companies by a diverse group of plaintiffs, including authors, visual artists, media companies, and music-industry giants. These cases often hinge on the "fair use" doctrine, with AI companies arguing that their use of copyrighted materials is legal without consent or compensation. Major AI companies like OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic, and Nvidia are involved in these disputes. The initial case, _Thomson Reuters v. Ross Intelligence_, remains unresolved, with Ross out of business due to litigation costs. Other cases, such as The New York Times' lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, are in contentious discovery phases.
Key takeaways:
- Thomson Reuters sued Ross Intelligence in May 2020 for allegedly violating US copyright law by using materials from Westlaw, marking the beginning of a larger conflict between content publishers and AI companies.
- Numerous copyright lawsuits have been filed against AI companies by a diverse group of plaintiffs, including authors, visual artists, media companies, and music-industry giants, claiming unauthorized use of their work for AI model training.
- AI companies are defending themselves using the "fair use" doctrine, arguing that using copyrighted materials for building AI tools should be legal without needing consent or compensation.
- Major generative AI companies like OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic, and Nvidia are involved in these legal battles, with cases like The New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft currently in contentious discovery phases.