Authors File New Copyright Lawsuit Against AI Giants Over Pirated Books

Prominent authors have launched a new legal battle against major AI companies. The lawsuit targets Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, Meta, xAI, and Perplexity. It was filed this week in a federal court.The plaintiffs accuse the firms of systematic copyright infringement. They claim the companies trained their AImodels on pirated copies of their books. This case follows a previous, related settlement that left many creators unsatisfied.

Lawsuit Rejects Previous Settlement as Inadequate

This new action is led by a group including journalist John Carreyrou. He is famous as the Theranos whistleblower and author of “Bad Blood.” The group argues the earlier settlement with Anthropic does not hold AI firms accountable.That prior case involved a different class of authors. A judge ruled AI companies could legally train on pirated material. However, the act of pirating the books themselves was deemed illegal. According to Reuters, the settlement allowed eligible writers to claim about $3,000 each.The new lawsuit calls that resolution a “bargain-basement” rate. It states the deal seems to serve AI companies, not creators. The authors argue it lets firms avoid the true cost of their actions.

Broader Fight for Creator Rights in the AI Era

This lawsuit signals a growing confrontation between creators and tech giants. Authors contend their copyrighted books are high-value data used without permission. This data helps build models generating billions in revenue.The outcome could reshape how AI systems are developed. A ruling for the authors might force companies to license content properly. It would acknowledge the fundamental role of creative work in training advanced AI.For the publishing industry, the stakes are incredibly high. The case challenges the core “fair use” argument often cited by AI developers. A favorable ruling for writers would empower content creators across all media.

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The new copyright lawsuit against AI companies represents a pivotal moment. It directly challenges the practice of using pirated books for AI training. The result could redefine ownership and compensation in the digital age.

Thought you’d like to know

Q1: What are the authors accusing the AI companies of doing?

The authors allege the companies pirated their copyrighted books. They then used these illegal copies to train their large language models. This constitutes mass copyright infringement, according to the lawsuit.

Q2: How is this lawsuit different from the previous Anthropic case?

This is a new, separate lawsuit from a different group of authors. It targets a wider set of companies, including Google and Meta. The plaintiffs explicitly reject the earlier settlement as insufficient.

Q3: What could happen if the authors win this case?

A win could force AI companies to pay significant damages. It might also require them to obtain proper licenses for copyrighted training data. This would increase development costs and change industry practices.

Q4: What do the authors want from this legal action?

They seek proper compensation for the use of their work. The lawsuit argues AI firms should pay the true commercial value of the content. It also aims to establish legal precedent protecting creators.

Q5: How have AI companies defended using such data?

Companies often claim training falls under “fair use” copyright doctrine. They argue it transforms the content for a new purpose. This legal theory is now being tested in multiple courts.

Trusted Sources: Reuters, Associated Press