- Complaint alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used nearly 400 newspapers’ reporting without permission
- Case marks the largest coordinated legal action by local news publishers on AI training issues
- Suit aims to protect local journalism and challenge the use of copyrighted material in AI development
A coalition of local newspaper publishers has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the technology groups of copying copyrighted reporting from nearly 400 newspapers to help train and operate commercial AI products, including ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, without permission or payment.
According to the complaint, the companies used years of original local news coverage to build systems that now generate substantial commercial value, while the publishers say the outlets that produced the reporting have been left to shoulder the costs. The case also alleges violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, saying copyright notices, bylines and other rights information were removed from publishers’ work.
Platkin LLP, the New Jersey firm representing the newspaper coalition, said the suit is intended to protect local journalism at a time of severe economic strain for the industry. Matthew J Platkin, the former New Jersey attorney general who founded the firm earlier this year, said local newspapers are central to their communities and argued that the case is aimed at ensuring publishers receive meaningful protection in the AI era.
The publishers say the dispute is part of a much broader fight over who controls the raw material used to train large language models. In a 2026 interview reported by Axios, The New York Times chief executive Meredith Kopit Levien said the company was confident in its legal position in separate cases against OpenAI, Microsoft and Perplexity, and framed the lawsuits as essential to preserving sustainable business models for quality journalism.
The new case adds to a growing wave of litigation from news organisations. Earlier lawsuits by The New York Times and by a group of eight newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital have already put the issue of AI training and copyright before US courts. A separate complaint from MediaNews Group-owned titles also added to the pressure on the two technology companies.
The latest filing is notable for its scale. The publishers say it is the largest coordinated action so far by local and regional newspapers over the use of their reporting in AI training. They argue that their journalists cover city councils, courts, schools, public safety and other civic institutions that AI systems cannot replicate, and that allowing such work to be commercialised without compensation would further weaken local newsrooms.
OpenAI founder Sam Altman has previously told the British House of Lords that it would be “impossible to train today’s leading AI models without using copyrighted materials”, a remark the publishers cite as evidence that the companies knew precisely what kinds of material were being used.
The lawsuit seeks to hold OpenAI and Microsoft responsible for what the publishers describe as ongoing copyright violations, while also testing the legal limits of how far AI companies may go in using published journalism to train their products.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://newjerseyglobe.com/media/nearly-400-local-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-over-alleged-copyright-theft/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.axios.com/2026/06/22/new-york-times-ai-lawsuits – The New York Times CEO, Meredith Kopit Levien, expressed strong confidence in the company’s legal actions against OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity, citing support from intellectual property law in their favour. Speaking at Cannes, Levien emphasised the critical importance of protecting sustainable business models for high-quality journalism in the AI era. The Times is the first major media organisation to file copyright infringement lawsuits against leading AI firms, arguing these companies use its content without proper compensation. Levien highlighted the company’s resilience by investing in its core news products and exploring new formats like video to enhance engagement and reach new audiences. The Times plans to continue product development to grow its readership further. These lawsuits could set crucial legal precedents defining content rights in the age of large language models (LLMs). ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2026/06/22/new-york-times-ai-lawsuits?utm_source=openai))
- https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/2026/06/24/35-local-regional-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-for-alleged-copyright-infringement-26th-suit-v-openai-and-11th-v-microsoft/ – A coalition of 35 local and regional newspaper publishers has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement in the training of their AI models with content scraped from the web. The complaint alleges direct infringement, vicarious infringement, and DMCA CMI removal. This lawsuit is the 26th suit against OpenAI and the 11th against Microsoft in the ongoing MDL Litigation, In re OpenAI Copyright Infringement Litigation. ([chatgptiseatingtheworld.com](https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/2026/06/24/35-local-regional-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-for-alleged-copyright-infringement-26th-suit-v-openai-and-11th-v-microsoft/?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/nov/28/9-more-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-alleging-st/ – Nine newspapers owned or managed by MediaNews Group filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the tech giants of violating copyright law by stealing the news publishers’ content to build and operate the large language models that power their artificial intelligence applications. The newspapers involved include the Los Angeles Daily News, The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Bernardino Sun, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, The Morning Call, the Boulder Daily Camera, the Daily Press, and The Virginian-Pilot. ([spokesman.com](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/nov/28/9-more-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-alleging-st/?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.axios.com/2024/04/30/microsoft-openai-lawsuit-copyright-newspapers-alden-global – Eight prominent U.S. newspapers owned by investment giant Alden Global Capital are suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, in a complaint filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York. This adds heft to publishers’ claims, following a similar case filed by the New York Times against both companies. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2024/04/30/microsoft-openai-lawsuit-copyright-newspapers-alden-global?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/30/us-newspaper-openai-lawsuit – A group of eight U.S. newspapers is suing ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the technology companies have been ‘purloining millions’ of copyrighted news articles without permission or payment to train their artificial intelligence chatbots. The New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, and other papers filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in a New York federal court. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/30/us-newspaper-openai-lawsuit?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.gpb.org/news/2024/04/30/eight-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-for-copyright-infringement – Eight daily newspapers sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the maker of ChatGPT copied its work without permission or payment. The lawsuit claims the tech giants ‘purloined’ millions of articles from the newspapers without permission or payment to train their generative artificial intelligence software and dramatically boost their businesses. ([gpb.org](https://www.gpb.org/news/2024/04/30/eight-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-for-copyright-infringement?utm_source=openai))
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article was published on June 25, 2026. A similar lawsuit involving eight U.S. newspapers was filed in April 2024, alleging that OpenAI and Microsoft used their content without permission to train AI models. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/30/us-newspaper-openai-lawsuit?utm_source=openai)) The earlier lawsuit was reported by multiple reputable sources, including The Guardian. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/30/us-newspaper-openai-lawsuit?utm_source=openai)) The current article provides new information about a larger coalition of nearly 400 local newspapers filing a similar lawsuit, indicating freshness. However, the article does not specify the exact date of the lawsuit filing, which raises concerns about the timeliness of the information. Additionally, the article does not mention any recent developments or responses from OpenAI and Microsoft, which would be expected in a current news report. The lack of these details suggests that the article may be recycling older information without significant updates.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Matthew J. Platkin, the former New Jersey attorney general representing the newspaper coalition. A similar quote from Platkin was reported in the April 2024 lawsuit, indicating potential reuse of content. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/30/us-newspaper-openai-lawsuit?utm_source=openai)) The article also references remarks by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, which were made during testimony before the British House of Lords. The inclusion of these quotes without new context or updates raises concerns about the originality and freshness of the content.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The article is published by the New Jersey Globe, a regional news outlet. While it provides detailed information about the lawsuit, the lack of citations to primary sources or official court documents raises questions about the reliability of the information. The article does not provide links to the actual lawsuit filing or official statements from the involved parties, which are essential for verifying the claims made.
Plausibility check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article’s claims align with previous reports about legal actions taken by news organizations against AI companies for alleged copyright infringement. However, the lack of specific details, such as the exact date of the lawsuit filing and the names of the nearly 400 newspapers involved, makes it difficult to fully assess the plausibility of the claims. The absence of these details suggests that the article may be summarizing information from previous reports without providing new, verifiable facts.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article raises significant concerns regarding freshness, originality, and source independence. It appears to recycle information from previous reports without providing new, verifiable details or direct citations to primary sources. The lack of specific information about the lawsuit filing and the absence of official statements from the involved parties further undermine the credibility of the report. Given these issues, the article does not meet the standards for reliable reporting.
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