Nearly 400 Local Newspapers Launch Massive OpenAI, Microsoft Lawsuit

Nearly 400 local newspaper publishers have filed a sweeping federal class action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the tech giants of building billion-dollar AI products on copyrighted journalism without permission. The lawsuit, filed on June 24, alleges that the companies copied reporting from hundreds of local newspapers to train ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot while stripping away copyright management information, including author bylines and terms of use. Represented by former New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin's law firm, the plaintiffs argue that the companies violated both the Copyright Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Platkin emphasized that the lawsuit is not about stopping AI innovation, but ensuring it happens fairly and within the bounds of the law. He highlighted the critical role of local reporters in covering city council meetings, investigating corruption, and documenting community events, stating that local newspapers are the lifeblood of the communities they serve. The lawsuit marks the largest coordinated legal challenge from local and regional publishers against OpenAI. The complaint cites remarks made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during testimony before the British House of Lords, in which he acknowledged that training today's leading AI models would be

(Source：Complex)