A recent court ruling provided interim relief to OpenAI in a copyright dispute over the use of news articles for AI training. On November 7, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against OpenAI by media outlets Raw Story and AlterNet. However, the case may develop as plaintiffs file amended submissions with additional evidence to resolve the AI copyright dispute.
Initial case dismissed, but problems may arise in the future
At the heart of the lawsuit was an allegation that OpenAI used copyrighted articles to train its large-scale language model, ChatGPT, without compensating the news media. Judge McMahon noted that the plaintiffs have not yet provided sufficient evidence of actual harm caused by OpenAI’s actions. In her ruling, she pointed out that using news content without compensation for AI training is more problematic than directly excluding copyrighted materials, which is the core of AI copyright disputes.
Despite the initial dismissal, Raw Story and AlterNet’s legal teams remained confident, saying they were “confident” they could address the court’s concerns. If an amended complaint successfully details the alleged harm to the business, the case may resurface.
Ongoing concerns about AI’s use of copyrighted material
The lawsuit is part of a broader debate surrounding copyright and artificial intelligence. The New York Times filed its own lawsuit earlier this year, accusing OpenAI of using millions of copyrighted articles without permission. Other media companies, including TIME and Associated Press, also raised legal issues, demanding compensation for the use of AI content, highlighting the AI copyright dispute again.
This debate highlights a key question: how AI developers can train their systems without infringing on copyrighted content. As AI capabilities expand, content creators and rights holders have been seeking solutions to ensure fair use and compensation.
Expanding partnerships with media organizations
In response to the evolving legal environment, OpenAI and other technology companies are actively forming partnerships with media organizations to protect access to licensed content. On November 1, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT’s search feature, which uses real-time licensed information from across the web to more accurately answer user queries.
OpenAI partners with leading global news providers, including the Financial Times, France’s Le Monde, Spain’s Prisa Media, and Germany’s Axel Springer. This collaboration informs OpenAI’s approach toward transparent and legally sound content acquisition for AI models and demonstrates OpenAI’s response to AI copyright disputes.
Meta Enters AI-News Partnership Space
OpenAI isn’t the only tech giant pursuing a legal route to integrate news content. On October 25, Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) announced its first news licensing deal, a partnership with Reuters. Under this agreement, Meta’s AI chatbot will be able to connect directly to Reuters news articles in response to user inquiries, setting a precedent for other platforms to follow.
Industry leaders continue to adapt as copyright issues persist, signing new agreements and forming partnerships to advance AI’s potential for informed, real-time responses amid ongoing AI copyright disputes while mitigating legal risks. We are expanding.