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What the US' first major AI copyright ruling might mean for IP law | TechCrunch

Feb 17, 2025 - techcrunch.com
A U.S. federal judge recently ruled in favor of Thomson Reuters in a copyright infringement case against Ross Intelligence, a legal tech firm. The judge found that Ross' use of Reuters' headnotes from Westlaw to train its AI legal research platform violated intellectual property rights, as it did not transform the content significantly. This decision could influence over 39 ongoing copyright-related AI lawsuits in the U.S., although it does not guarantee success for all plaintiffs. The ruling highlighted Ross' commercial motivations and lack of transformative use as key factors in the decision.

The case's outcome may impact future copyright disputes involving AI, particularly those concerning generative AI technologies. While the judge distinguished between Ross' AI and generative AI, which creates new content from existing data, the decision could still affect similar cases. Legal experts suggest that the focus on market impact and the narrow scope of the ruling might influence rights holders' strategies against AI developers. However, the decision is not definitive and may be overturned on appeal, leaving the broader legal landscape around AI and copyright unresolved.

Key takeaways:

  • A U.S. federal judge ruled that Ross Intelligence's use of Thomson Reuters' content to train its AI platform infringed on Reuters' intellectual property.
  • The judge found Ross' argument of transformative use unconvincing, as Ross' platform directly competed with Westlaw without adding new meaning or purpose.
  • The decision could influence other AI copyright cases, but its applicability to generative AI remains uncertain.
  • Legal experts suggest the ruling might impact future cases involving the use of copyrighted material for AI training, but caution that the decision is narrow and may be overturned on appeal.
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