The New York Times et al vs. OpenAI

Several major newspapers, including The New York Times, are suing OpenAI for copyright infringement, with the support of the Trump administration. On Monday, the media companies' attorneys asked a federal judge to disregard or give little weight to the Department of Justice's advice due to the notorious bias in favor of OpenAI. The case is being heard in a federal court in Manhattan.

Early this month, the DOJ submitted a document stating that AI development is of "paramount importance for national security" and that the technology's benefits "far outweigh any harm to competition." The DOJ also claims that AI training sufficiently transforms original works that it does not constitute a copyright violation. "The government is siding with a few major AI companies, at the expense of countless American creators whose work they are stealing," said Graham Jones, a spokesperson for The Times.

According to Jones, the government's proposal to allow companies to use that content without permission or compensation would jeopardize the sustainability of human-created content, which is essential for a healthy society. The publishers' attorneys argue that requiring AI developers to pay for copyrighted material would not threaten the government's objective of promoting the technology.

"The fact that the DOJ is disregarding any contrary viewpoints and summarily dismissing a comprehensive study by the Copyright Office in a footnote suggests that the body may have been influenced by considerations other than the issue at hand – including political and financial interests of the government," wrote the media companies' attorneys.

Along with The New York Times, participating publications include the Chicago Tribune and a group of writers, including John Grisham and George RR Martin, represented by the Authors Guild. The lawsuits, initiated in 2023, have been consolidated into a litigation involving proceedings in various federal courts.