- Nine US regional newspapers accuse OpenAI and Microsoft of training AI on unlicensed news content
- Lawsuit seeks over $10 billion in damages and destruction of alleged infringing datasets
- Case highlights tensions between AI innovation and rights protection in the evolving legal landscape
Nine US regional newspapers have launched a sweeping copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, seeking damages that could exceed $10 billion.
The plaintiffs include the Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Daily News, New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune and Denver Post. They allege the companies trained AI models on unlicensed news content that the systems later reproduced almost verbatim.
The suit, filed in New York at the end of November, lands at a moment when regional papers argue they are already stretched by declining revenues. The nut of their case is that AI systems built by OpenAI and deployed through Microsoft’s products rely on journalism that publishers say they never allowed to be scraped, memorised or repackaged.
The publishers support their claim with side-by-side comparisons showing close matches between AI-generated text and the original articles. They say the similarities go beyond glitches and amount to deliberate copying. They also accuse both companies of breaching the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by stripping copyright management information such as bylines, titles and usage terms, leaving users to believe the material was free to reuse.
The papers argue that their paywalls and terms of use explicitly ban scraping or training, yet OpenAI and Microsoft allegedly disregarded these restrictions. Microsoft is cast not only as an infrastructure provider but as a partner in model design and a direct beneficiary of the disputed data harvesting.
The lawsuit seeks maximum statutory penalties: up to $150,000 per wilful infringement and $25,000 for each offence involving the removal of copyright information. The plaintiffs also ask for an injunction that would force the destruction of any AI models and datasets containing their work, an approach similar to the one pursued by the New York Times in its parallel case.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://the-decoder.com/copyright-pressure-mounts-as-openai-battles-over-newspapers-and-pirate-libraries/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/30/us-newspaper-openai-lawsuit – In April 2024, eight U.S. newspapers, including The New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, and Denver Post, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. The publishers allege that the tech companies used their copyrighted articles without permission to train AI chatbots, claiming that this practice undermines their business models and violates copyright laws. The lawsuit highlights concerns over the unauthorized use of journalistic content in developing AI technologies.
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawsuit-against-openai-newspaper-copyright/ – A federal judge has allowed The New York Times and other newspapers to proceed with a copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. The case focuses on the alleged unauthorized use of the newspapers’ articles to train AI chatbots. While some claims were dismissed, the majority of the lawsuit remains active, potentially leading to a jury trial. The publishers argue that their content was used without permission, impacting their business operations.
- https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/openai-sued-infringing-library-app-makers-sora-trademark-2025-11-20/ – In November 2025, OverDrive, a digital library service, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for trademark infringement over the use of the name ‘Sora.’ OverDrive claims that OpenAI’s new Sora video-generation app closely resembles its own Sora app, which has been providing e-books and digital learning materials since 2018. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and an injunction to prevent OpenAI from using the ‘Sora’ name, alleging potential confusion among users.
- https://www.reuters.com/world/german-court-sides-with-plaintiff-copyright-case-against-openai-2025-11-11/ – In November 2025, a German court ruled in favor of GEMA, Germany’s music rights organization, against OpenAI. The court found that OpenAI used song lyrics without obtaining the appropriate licenses and ordered the company to pay damages. GEMA argued that OpenAI’s ChatGPT reproduced lyrics from copyrighted German songs, and the ruling could influence future regulation of generative AI in Europe.
- https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/openai-fights-order-turn-over-millions-chatgpt-conversations-2025-11-12/ – OpenAI has filed a request with a federal judge in New York to overturn an order mandating the release of 20 million anonymized ChatGPT chat logs. This is part of a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by The New York Times and other news organizations, alleging that OpenAI unlawfully used their articles to train ChatGPT. OpenAI contends that disclosing these transcripts would compromise user privacy.
- https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/entrepreneur-magazine-publisher-sues-meta-over-ai-training-2025-11-06/ – Entrepreneur Media, the publisher of Entrepreneur magazine, filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms in November 2025. The lawsuit alleges that Meta used its copyrighted content without permission to train its AI systems, specifically the Llama large language models. The publisher claims that Meta copied business strategy books and other instructional materials to develop AI that generates similar competing content.
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 narrative reports on a lawsuit filed on November 26, 2025, by nine US regional newspapers against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright violations. This is a recent development, with no earlier reports found within the past seven days. The article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. ([spokesman.com](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/nov/28/9-more-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-alleging-st/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Steven Lieberman, attorney representing the newspapers, and Frank Pine, executive editor for MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing. These quotes appear in other recent reports, indicating potential reuse. No earlier matches were found for these specific quotes, suggesting they may be original or exclusive content. ([spokesman.com](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/nov/28/9-more-newspapers-sue-openai-microsoft-alleging-st/?utm_source=openai))
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Decoder, a publication with limited online presence and no verifiable website. This raises concerns about the source’s reliability and credibility. The lack of a reputable source diminishes the trustworthiness of the information presented.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative align with recent legal actions taken by newspapers against OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright infringements. The specific details about the lawsuit filed on November 26, 2025, are consistent with other reports. However, the lack of coverage from reputable outlets and the questionable reliability of the source warrant caution.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative reports on a recent lawsuit filed by nine US regional newspapers against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright violations. While the claims are plausible and align with recent legal actions, the source’s questionable reliability and the potential reuse of quotes from other reports raise concerns about the authenticity and originality of the content. The lack of coverage from reputable outlets further diminishes the trustworthiness of the information presented.
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