Multiple media outlets filed a lawsuit against software titan Microsoft and OpenAI Tuesday, alleging that the firms engaged in copyright infringement.
Eight newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital filed the suit against the software companies in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit alleges that both Microsoft’s Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT used information from papers like the New York Daily News, Orlando Sentinel and Chicago Tribune without crediting either the outlets or reporters. (RELATED: Elon Musk Tells Tucker Carlson AI Could ‘Absolutely’ Take Control Of Civilization)
“Microsoft and OpenAI simply take the work product of reporters, journalists, editorial writers, editors and others who contribute to the work of local newspapers—all without any regard for the efforts, much less the legal rights, of those who create and publish the news on which local communities rely,” the complaint says.
“This issue is not just a business problem for a handful of newspapers or the newspaper industry at large,” the lawsuit added. “It is a critical issue for civic life in America. Indeed, local news is the bedrock of democracy and its continued existence is put at risk by Defendants’ actions.”
#BREAKING: 8 major U.S. newspapers are suing @OpenAI, @Microsoft for copyright infringement
— On top of a similar case filed by @nytimes against both companies, the new suits add heft to publishers’ claims.
— More on @axios:https://t.co/ncS47Nmcxk— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) April 30, 2024
The lawsuit also claimed that Microsoft and OpenAI’s actions posed a threat to democracy and detailed how local journalism could affect national politics.
“The late Speaker of the House, Thomas P. ‘Tip’ O’Neill, famously remarked that all politics is local. That is as true today as when he said it,” the complaint says. “Presidential primaries begin in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, and their outcomes are often decided in states such as Florida—where two of the Publishers operate.”
“Congressmen and Senators typically begin their political careers in local city councils, mayoral offices, and state legislatures,” the lawsuit continued. “When major national news outlets, like CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, need insights into local politics, they frequently rely on local news reports from the Publishers and others, and often turn to reporters from local newspapers for on-air commentary. Politics is local, and local news is an integral part of our national conversation.”
OpenAI and Microsoft were sued by the New York Times in December, with the NYT alleging that the companies used NYT articles to “train” their AI programs.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. A spokesperson for Microsoft declined to comment.
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