OpenAI hit with lawsuit by Britannica and Merriam-Webster over alleged copyright theft

Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming the company infringed on copyright by using nearly 100,000 copyrighted articles to train its AI models without authorization. The publishers allege that AI-generated responses often reproduce their content and harm their reputation through inaccuracies and misattribution. The lawsuit also raises concerns about trademark infringement, as OpenAI’s AI sometimes provides false information under the Britannica and Merriam-Webster brand names, potentially eroding public trust.

Britannica and Merriam-Webster argue that OpenAI’s use of their content, including through retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), deprives them of control and monetization opportunities for their intellectual property. They also contend that AI-generated responses compete with their original content, leading to potential losses in web traffic and revenue.

This case is part of a growing wave of legal challenges against OpenAI and other AI developers regarding the use of copyrighted material. Courts are currently grappling with whether using copyrighted data for AI training constitutes fair use, with outcomes potentially shaping the future of AI development and the protection of intellectual property rights.

(Source：News9live)