Five Canadian news media companies have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI.
The companies alleged that OpenAI has been scraping large swaths of content to fuel its products.
The 84-page legal filing seeks damages and a permanent injunction to prevent OpenAI from using their material without consent.
Artificial intelligence is everywhere, shaping how we interact with technology. But behind its functionality lies a growing debate over the ethics of how AI companies use content. This concern is now at the heart of a legal battle in Canada, where five prominent news media companies have accused ChatGPT-maker OpenAI of copyright infringement.
On Friday, Canadian news media companies Torstar, Postmedia, The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, and CBC/Radio-Canada filed a lawsuit against OpenAI. They claim that the AI company unlawfully used their journalism to train its AI systems without permission or payment.
Also read: Accident or cover-up? OpenAI allegedly deletes potential evidence in copyright case
In a joint statement, the companies alleged that OpenAI has been scraping large swaths of content to fuel its products. They criticised this practice, stating: “Journalism is in the public interest. OpenAI using other companies’ journalism for their own commercial gain is not. It’s illegal.”
The media companies argue that OpenAI’s actions have harmed their intellectual property rights. The 84-page legal filing seeks damages and a permanent injunction to prevent OpenAI from using their material without consent. They also emphasised that OpenAI has never compensated them for using their work, reports Reuters.
“Rather than seek to obtain the information legally, OpenAI has elected to brazenly misappropriate the News Media Companies’ valuable intellectual property and convert it for its own uses, including commercial uses, without consent or consideration,” the lawsuit claims.
Also read: Is OpenAI violating copyright laws? Former company employee says YES
OpenAI’s response
OpenAI defended its practices, stating that its AI models rely on publicly available data and operate within fair use and international copyright laws. The company added that it collaborates with publishers and provides options to opt out.
“We collaborate closely with news publishers, including in the display, attribution and links to their content in ChatGPT search, and offer them easy ways to opt out should they so desire,” a spokesperson said.
This lawsuit is part of a global wave of legal actions targeting AI companies over their use of copyrighted material. While this case doesn’t involve OpenAI’s backer Microsoft, Elon Musk recently expanded a lawsuit against OpenAI to include Microsoft, alleging monopolistic practices in the AI industry.
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Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile
