Judge Allows New York Times Copyright Lawsuit Against OpenAI To Proceed In Key Ruling

deadline.com:

A federal judge today denied OpenAI’s motion to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit by The New York Times, a major development in a closely watched case that will test the limits of what AI firms can use, and how, to train their large language models. “The Court hereby denies (1) OpenAI’s motions to dismiss the direct infringement claims involving conduct occurring more than three years before the complaints were filed; (2) the defendants’ motions to dismiss the contributory copyright infringement claims; and (3) the defendants’ motions to dismiss the state and federal trademark dilution claims in the Daily News action,” wrote Judge Sidney H.

Stein of U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The case was filed last year and the decision followed oral arguments in January.

Judge Stein did not issue an opinon today but said he will do soon “setting forth the reasons for this ruling.” He dismissed several other claims, narrowing the scope of the suit againt OpenAI and its partner and investor Microsoft, by the NYT as well as the Daily News LP, and The Center for Investigative Reporting.

As AI advances at warp speed, firms are in need of copious amounts of content to feed and build their models. Companies like OpenAI and Google have basically argued — most recently this month in response to a Trump administration comment period as it shapes AI policy — that current copyright safeguards are too restrictive and will inhibit the growth of U.S.