 "Indian media giants join legal battle against OpenAI over copyright issues")
Indian billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, along with media outlets such as The Indian Express and Hindustan Times, have launched a legal challenge against OpenAI for alleged copyright violations, Reuters reported on Monday. The lawsuit, filed in a New Delhi court, accuses the ChatGPT creator of improperly using copyrighted content by scraping and reproducing material from news websites without permission.
OpenAI, which sparked AI frenzy with the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, is striving to lead the generative AI race after raising $6.6 billion last year.
What are the allegations against OpenAI?
The lawsuit raises concerns about OpenAI’s use of data from websites belonging to members of the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) and other outlets, such as Adani’s NDTV and Ambani’s Network18. The plaintiffs claim that OpenAI’s actions amount to “willful scraping” and “content adaptation”, which they argue threatens the valuable copyrights held by Indian digital news publishers.
This case builds upon a broader legal battle against OpenAI in India, which began last year when local news agency ANI filed a lawsuit on similar grounds. Global and Indian book publishers have also joined the fight, highlighting a growing trend of copyright challenges against generative AI models.
The outcome of the lawsuit could have significant implications for the relationship between generative AI platforms and the media industry. If courts side with the plaintiffs, AI firms like OpenAI may face stricter regulations on how they source and use copyrighted content. On the other hand, a ruling in OpenAI’s favour could redefine "fair use" in the digital age, potentially reshaping copyright norms.
Indian courts can’t hear copyright cases: OpenAI
In response to the lawsuit filed by ANI, the company argued that it has “no office or permanent establishment in India” and that the servers storing ChatGPT’s training data are located outside India. The company also said that as it was currently defending a lawsuit in the US, it was required to preserve all data while the hearings are ongoing. This means that no data can be removed until the court proceedings conclude.
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Global book publishers in India file lawsuit
This news comes days after it was reported that Indian book publishers, along with their international counterparts, have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI. The Federation of Indian Publishers, representing members like Bloomsbury, Penguin Random House, and Rupa Publications, filed the case at the Delhi High Court aiming to prevent ChatGPT from accessing proprietary content.
Copyright lawsuits against AI firms
The Indian case mirrors legal actions taken by media outlets worldwide. Publications such as The New York Times and a consortium of US newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune and The Denver Post, have also accused OpenAI of copyright infringement. These lawsuits argue that OpenAI’s use of copyrighted material for training its AI systems does not fall under “fair use”, despite the company’s assertions.
Media houses and AI: Collaboration vs litigation
While some media companies, including Indian outlets like The Times of India, have opted not to join the legal challenge, others have embraced partnerships with OpenAI. For instance, the Associated Press, The Financial Times, and Vox Media have struck deals with OpenAI, granting controlled access to their archives in exchange for compensation. These collaborations aim to ensure that media companies benefit from AI advancements while maintaining some control over how their content is used.
Authors, news outlets, and musicians worldwide are suing tech firms for using their copyrighted works to train AI models and seeking the removal of their content.