The nonprofit organization behind Mother Jones and Reveal, the Center for Investigative Reporting, has joined the growing list of media outlets taking legal action against Microsoft and OpenAI over alleged copyright infringement.
The Verge reports that the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) has filed a lawsuit against tech giants Microsoft and OpenAI. The nonprofit organization, known for producing leftist publications such as Mother Jones and Reveal, claims that these companies have infringed on their copyrights by using their content without permission or compensation.
The lawsuit, announced late last week, follows similar legal actions taken by other prominent media outlets, including the New York Times and a group of publications owned by hedge fund Alden Global Capital. This latest development highlights the increasing concern within the journalism industry about the unauthorized use of their content by AI companies to train large language models.
Monika Bauerlein, CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting, expressed her frustration with the situation, stating, “OpenAI and Microsoft started vacuuming up our stories to make their product more powerful, but they never asked for permission or offered compensation, unlike other organizations that license our material.” She further emphasized that this behavior is not only unfair but also a clear violation of copyright laws.
The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft’s actions have had far-reaching consequences for CIR. According to the legal complaint, the tech companies have not only copied CIR’s content but have also undermined the organization’s relationships with readers and partners. Moreover, CIR argues that this unauthorized use of their material has deprived them of crucial revenue streams.
This legal battle is part of a broader trend in the media industry, with various outlets taking similar steps to protect their intellectual property. the New York Times, for instance, has already invested $1 million in its lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. Other publications joining the fray include the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, The Intercept, Raw Story, AlterNet, and the Denver Post.
It’s not just news organizations that are concerned about these practices. Groups of authors have also filed lawsuits against OpenAI, although with mixed results. A case involving comedian Sarah Silverman, for example, was partially dismissed.
However, it’s worth noting that not all media companies are taking an adversarial approach. Some organizations have opted for collaboration instead of litigation, signing licensing deals with OpenAI. These include major players like the Associated Press, Axel Springer, the Financial Times, Dotdash Meredith, News Corp, Vox Media, the Atlantic, and Time.
In response to the growing controversy, OpenAI has stated that they are working to build partnerships with the news industry. A spokesperson for the company told CNBC, “We are working collaboratively with the news industry and partnering with global news publishers to display their content in our products like ChatGPT, including summaries, quotes, and attribution, to drive traffic back to the original articles.”
As of now, neither OpenAI nor Microsoft has responded directly to requests for comment on CIR’s lawsuit. This silence leaves many questions unanswered about how these tech giants plan to address the growing concerns from the media industry.
Read more at the Verge here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
