The media outlets argue that OpenAI's actions violate copyright laws and jeopardize the integrity of journalism.
The coalition of Canada's foremost news publishers, which includes prominent names such as the Toronto Star, Metroland Media, Postmedia, The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, and CBC, is pursuing legal action against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Their lawsuit contends that OpenAI is illegally employing news content to enhance its artificial intelligence tools, claiming this practice is both exploitative and against fair use principles.
In a statement, the consortium emphasized, “Journalism is in the public interest. OpenAI using other companies’ journalism for their own commercial gain is not. It’s illegal.” OpenAI, on the other hand, maintains that its models are based on publicly available information and are developed in line with fair use and international copyright norms. They assert that they engage with news publishers by providing mechanisms for content attribution and options to opt out.
The 84-page legal complaint highlights accusations that OpenAI disregards protective measures like paywalls and copyright notices that are designed to safeguard original content. The media entities contend, "OpenAI regularly breaches copyright and online terms of use by scraping large swaths of content from Canadian media to help develop its products, such as ChatGPT."
Seeking substantial restitution, the group demands C$20,000 ($14,300; £11,000) per article allegedly misappropriated for training purposes, a figure that could total billions if multiplied across numerous articles. In addition to financial damages, the media coalition is asking for a court order to ensure that OpenAI discloses profits earned from using their articles, along with a prohibition against future use of this content.
While this lawsuit represents a notable first for Canadian media against an AI company, it follows a pattern of similar legal challenges in the United States. Last year, the New York Times and other publishers initiated a similar lawsuit against OpenAI, with the Times alleging that the company had deleted essential evidence related to their case. Other claims of copyright infringement have emerged from the Authors Guild and notable authors, including John Grisham. Recent reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that OpenAI has reached a valuation of C$219 billion following its latest fundraising efforts.
The coalition of Canada's foremost news publishers, which includes prominent names such as the Toronto Star, Metroland Media, Postmedia, The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, and CBC, is pursuing legal action against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Their lawsuit contends that OpenAI is illegally employing news content to enhance its artificial intelligence tools, claiming this practice is both exploitative and against fair use principles.
In a statement, the consortium emphasized, “Journalism is in the public interest. OpenAI using other companies’ journalism for their own commercial gain is not. It’s illegal.” OpenAI, on the other hand, maintains that its models are based on publicly available information and are developed in line with fair use and international copyright norms. They assert that they engage with news publishers by providing mechanisms for content attribution and options to opt out.
The 84-page legal complaint highlights accusations that OpenAI disregards protective measures like paywalls and copyright notices that are designed to safeguard original content. The media entities contend, "OpenAI regularly breaches copyright and online terms of use by scraping large swaths of content from Canadian media to help develop its products, such as ChatGPT."
Seeking substantial restitution, the group demands C$20,000 ($14,300; £11,000) per article allegedly misappropriated for training purposes, a figure that could total billions if multiplied across numerous articles. In addition to financial damages, the media coalition is asking for a court order to ensure that OpenAI discloses profits earned from using their articles, along with a prohibition against future use of this content.
While this lawsuit represents a notable first for Canadian media against an AI company, it follows a pattern of similar legal challenges in the United States. Last year, the New York Times and other publishers initiated a similar lawsuit against OpenAI, with the Times alleging that the company had deleted essential evidence related to their case. Other claims of copyright infringement have emerged from the Authors Guild and notable authors, including John Grisham. Recent reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that OpenAI has reached a valuation of C$219 billion following its latest fundraising efforts.
