Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over infringement
copyright microsoft openai training
| Source: The Verge | Original article
Seattle Times and Newsday sued OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming the firms used their journalism as AI training data without permission and that the models often reproduce their reporting.
The Seattle Times and Newsday have taken OpenAI and Microsoft to federal court, filing a copyright‑infringement suit on Sept. 4. The two publishers allege that the companies harvested their articles without permission to train the large‑language models that power ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot, and that the AI systems frequently reproduce verbatim passages from the outlets’ reporting when users ask for information.
The case adds the latest high‑profile plaintiffs to a wave of litigation that now includes nearly 400 local newspapers accusing the same tech giants of unauthorized data scraping. By targeting both OpenAI and its commercial partner Microsoft, the suit underscores the growing legal pressure on AI developers to justify how they source training material. For the journalism sector, the complaint warns that unchecked AI training could “break” the industry, eroding the value of original reporting and threatening revenue streams that already face digital disruption.
What follows will hinge on how the court interprets existing copyright law in the context of machine‑learning datasets. A ruling in favor of the newspapers could force OpenAI and Microsoft to obtain licenses, alter data‑collection practices, or implement more robust attribution mechanisms. Conversely, a dismissal might embolden further data‑use without consent, prompting legislators to consider new regulations.
Stakeholders will be watching for motions on the plaintiffs’ request for injunctive relief, any settlement talks, and the response from other media groups poised to file similar actions. The outcome could shape the balance between AI innovation and the protection of copyrighted content across the tech and publishing landscapes.
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