4:44 pm - October 28, 2025
The firms behind ChatGPT have been accused of misappropriating copyrighted content to develop the AI platform.
A group of eight prominent American newspapers has jointly filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI, the organisation behind the ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot, accusing them of copyright infringement. The court documents, which were seen by Axios, reveal that the lawsuit has been initiated by a consortium of newspapers including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun Sentinel, San Jose Mercury News, Denver Post, Orange County Register, and St. Paul Pioneer Press.
These newspapers are under the ownership of Alden Global Capital, a major American investment firm known for its substantial media holdings. The lawsuit claims that Microsoft and OpenAI have misappropriated millions of copyrighted articles from the publications. It is alleged that the creators of ChatGPT utilised the content from these newspapers in developing their AI models without obtaining permission or providing any financial compensation to the content creators.
The lawsuit raises crucial questions about the use of copyrighted materials in training large language models like ChatGPT, which rely on a vast array of data to function effectively. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for technologies reliant on extensive data sets and the companies developing such technologies.
This legal action adds to ongoing discussions and debates about intellectual property rights in the digital age, especially in relation to artificial intelligence. With the rapid advancement of AI technologies, there is increasing scrutiny over how these systems are trained and the legal and ethical considerations involved in using potentially copyrighted material.
Source: Noah Wire Services
More on this & verification
- https://www.courthousenews.com/openai-and-microsoft-move-to-dismiss-newspaper-publishers-copyright-lawsuit/ – Corroborates the lawsuit filed by eight newspaper publishers against Microsoft and OpenAI, detailing the accusations of copyright infringement and the defendants’ motions to dismiss.
- https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/30/eight-newspaper-publishers-sue-openai-over-copyright-infringement.html – Supports the information about the lawsuit initiated by the eight U.S. newspaper publishers against Microsoft and OpenAI, alleging the use of millions of their articles without permission or payment.
- https://www.deseret.com/business/2024/05/01/newspaper-publishers-sue-microsoft-openai-copyright-infringment-ai-chatgpt-copilot-content-use/ – Provides details on the lawsuit, including the names of the newspapers involved and the allegations of using copyrighted articles to develop AI tools without compensation.
- https://www.rothwellfigg.com/news-on-behalf-of-eight-local-newspapers-rothwell-figg-files-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-with-significant-repercussions-against-openai-and-microsoft – Corroborates the lawsuit filed on behalf of the eight local newspapers, highlighting the allegations of copyright infringement and the impact on the newspapers’ content and reputation.
- https://www.courthousenews.com/openai-and-microsoft-move-to-dismiss-newspaper-publishers-copyright-lawsuit/ – Explains the defendants’ arguments, including the claim that the use of copyrighted content is fair use and does not constitute copyright infringement.
- https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/30/eight-newspaper-publishers-sue-openai-over-copyright-infringement.html – Mentions previous lawsuits, such as The New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI, and the partnerships OpenAI has with other media companies.
- https://www.deseret.com/business/2024/05/01/newspaper-publishers-sue-microsoft-openai-copyright-infringment-ai-chatgpt-copilot-content-use/ – Discusses the broader implications of the lawsuit on the use of copyrighted materials in training AI models and the ongoing debates about intellectual property rights.
- https://www.rothwellfigg.com/news-on-behalf-of-eight-local-newspapers-rothwell-figg-files-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-with-significant-repercussions-against-openai-and-microsoft – Highlights the critical role of local newspapers in civic life and the potential impact of Microsoft and OpenAI’s actions on these publications.
- https://www.courthousenews.com/openai-and-microsoft-move-to-dismiss-newspaper-publishers-copyright-lawsuit/ – Details the legal arguments and the court’s potential interpretation of the publishers’ claims, including the issue of fair use and direct infringement.
- https://www.deseret.com/business/2024/05/01/newspaper-publishers-sue-microsoft-openai-copyright-infringment-ai-chatgpt-copilot-content-use/ – Provides context on OpenAI’s partnerships with news organizations and their efforts to navigate content use issues.
- https://www.rothwellfigg.com/news-on-behalf-of-eight-local-newspapers-rothwell-figg-files-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-with-significant-repercussions-against-openai-and-microsoft – Corroborates the list of newspapers involved in the lawsuit and their ownership by Alden Global Capital and Tribune Publishing.
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