News/Copyright
Thomson Reuters wins landmark AI copyright lawsuit
The battle over AI companies' use of copyrighted material for training has reached a pivotal moment with the first major artificial intelligence copyright ruling in the United States. Thomson Reuters' lawsuit against Ross Intelligence, filed in 2020, centered on the startup's alleged reproduction of materials from Thomson Reuters' legal research platform Westlaw. Key ruling details: U.S. District Court of Delaware Judge Stephanos Bibas issued a summary judgment in favor of Thomson Reuters, rejecting all of Ross Intelligence's defenses. Judge Bibas determined that Ross Intelligence had infringed on Thomson Reuters' copyright by using Westlaw materials The ruling specifically addressed the critical...
read Feb 10, 2025AI art auction provokes outrage as thousands sign protest letter while participating artists push back
Artificial Intelligence (AI) art has become a contentious issue in the art world, particularly regarding copyright and fair use of existing artwork to train AI models. Christie's New York's announcement of their first-ever AI art auction has sparked significant controversy within the artistic community. The controversy unfolds: Christie's New York faces substantial backlash over their upcoming Augmented Intelligence sale, which features AI-generated artwork expected to generate more than $600,000. More than 3,000 individuals have signed an open letter demanding the cancellation of the auction The sale includes works from notable artists like Refik Anadol, Harold Cohen, and Claire Silver The...
read Feb 10, 2025AI mind clones raise both eyebrows and ethical questions about digital replicas
The concept of AI mind clones - digital replicas of human intelligence and personality - is moving from science fiction to reality, with companies like NewBots Studio and Delphi pioneering technology that can replicate human thought patterns and expertise. This emerging technology allows individuals and businesses to create digital versions of themselves or access simulated versions of historical figures' intelligence. The current landscape: AI mind cloning technology is gaining traction through implementations by prominent figures and technological advancements. Hiroshi Ishiguro, director of Osaka University's Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, has created AI-powered robotic replicas of himself that can deliver lectures and answer...
read Feb 6, 2025Authors accuse Meta of ransacking 81.7TB of pirated books for AI training
Technology giant Meta faces new allegations of using pirated books to train its artificial intelligence systems, with unsealed emails revealing the company downloaded over 81.7 terabytes of copyrighted content through torrent networks. Key allegations: Authors have filed a copyright case against Meta, claiming the company illegally obtained and used pirated books for AI training through multiple shadow libraries. Internal emails show Meta downloaded 35.7 terabytes from Z-Library and LibGen, in addition to a previous 80.6 terabytes from LibGen The scale of alleged piracy is particularly notable, with authors describing it as "astonishing" compared to smaller cases that triggered criminal investigations...
read Feb 3, 2025Why AI copyright reform is crucial for US national security
Copyright reform advocate Anna's Archive, which hosts over 140 million copyrighted texts, reveals that Chinese AI companies are extensively using their illegal collection to train large language models (LLMs), highlighting urgent needs for Western copyright reform. The current landscape: Anna's Archive emerged as the world's largest shadow library following challenges faced by previous platforms like Sci-Hub and Z-Library. The platform hosts over 140 million copyrighted texts, including books, academic papers, magazines, and newspapers Created as a preservation effort when other shadow libraries faced legal challenges and shutdowns Team operates based on ideological beliefs about preserving humanity's cultural heritage, citing concerns...
read Feb 2, 2025Shutterstock-Lightricks partnership offers example of how to ethically source training data for AI video
Shutterstock's innovative "research license" model with Lightricks marks a significant shift in how AI companies can legally and ethically access training data, potentially making high-quality datasets more accessible to startups and smaller developers. The groundbreaking partnership: Shutterstock and AI creative technology company Lightricks have established a new licensing framework that allows AI companies to access training data through a graduated approach. Lightricks will train its open-source video generation model LTXV using Shutterstock's HD and 4K video library The model enables companies to begin with a smaller research license for testing before upgrading to commercial licenses This approach directly addresses the...
read Feb 1, 2025Does OpenAI really have the right to criticize DeepSeek’s data acquisition practices?
GenAI company OpenAI has raised concerns about Chinese AI firm DeepSeek's new R1 model, which achieves similar results to OpenAI's premium models while using significantly less computing power. Key developments: DeepSeek's breakthrough has challenged fundamental assumptions about the resources needed to develop advanced AI models. The R1 model delivers comparable performance to OpenAI's best paid models despite using only a fraction of the computing power This development questions industry assumptions about the necessity of ever-increasing data and computational requirements The news has impacted investor confidence in OpenAI, which projects profitability only by decade's end OpenAI's response: The company has taken...
read Feb 1, 2025New government report tackles ‘copyrightability’ of AI-made works
Core findings: The U.S. Copyright Office has released the second part of a three-part report examining artificial intelligence and copyright law, focusing specifically on whether AI-generated works can be protected by copyright. The report draws on over 10,000 public comments from authors, libraries, publishers and other stakeholders Approximately half of the comments specifically addressed the copyrightability of AI outputs The vast majority of respondents agreed that existing copyright law is sufficient and that works created entirely by AI should not be eligible for copyright protection Key legal principles: The Copyright Office concluded that current copyright law provides an adequate framework...
read Feb 1, 2025How this YouTuber is poisoning the web scrapers stealing her content
YouTube creator F4mi has developed an innovative method to prevent AI-powered content scrapers from stealing and repurposing her video transcripts by embedding invisible, confounding text in subtitle files. Key innovation: F4mi leverages the Advanced SubStation Alpha (.ass) subtitle format to hide garbage data that disrupts AI summarization tools while remaining invisible to human viewers. The .ass format supports advanced features like custom positioning, fonts, colors, and text formatting Hidden text includes modified public domain works and AI-generated scripts containing fabricated information When AI summarizers process these transcripts, the invisible junk text overwhelms the actual content Technical implementation: The anti-scraping system...
read Jan 31, 2025US Copyright Office suggests the great AI copyright debate was actually settled in 1965
The US Copyright Office has issued new guidance maintaining that existing copyright laws are sufficient to handle AI-assisted works, while reaffirming that purely AI-generated content cannot be copyrighted. Key Framework: The Copyright Office bases its current AI copyright guidance on principles established in 1965 when officials first addressed computer-assisted creative works. Officials assert that questions about AI and copyright can be resolved using existing laws without new legislation The guidance stems from over 10,000 public comments and extensive analysis of AI-assisted creative works The fundamental position remains that works entirely generated by AI cannot receive copyright protection due to "insufficient...
read Jan 31, 2025US Copyright Office allows AI-assisted art copyright
The US Copyright Office has determined that artists can copyright works created with AI assistance, while maintaining that purely AI-generated content remains ineligible for protection. Key policy framework: The Copyright Office's new report establishes guidelines for determining copyright eligibility of AI-assisted creative works, drawing from over 10,000 public comments and previous rulings. The report affirms that using AI as an assistive tool in the creative process does not impact copyright eligibility Works entirely generated by AI cannot receive copyright protection Copyright eligibility for works combining human and AI contributions must be evaluated case-by-case Practical examples and boundaries: The Copyright Office...
read Jan 30, 2025AI-authored book sparks fear among creative professionals amid copyright questions
An AI-generated book mimicking a technology journalist's writing style demonstrates both the capabilities and limitations of current AI writing tools, while highlighting broader concerns about AI's impact on creative industries. The experiment setup: A technology journalist received an AI-written book about herself as a Christmas gift, generated by BookByAnyone using basic prompts provided by a friend. The 240-page book, titled "Tech-Splaining for Dummies," attempted to replicate the journalist's writing style and incorporated publicly available information about her BookByAnyone has sold approximately 150,000 personalized books, primarily in the US market The service uses proprietary AI tools based on an open-source large...
read Jan 30, 2025AI copyright clarity and new model releases reshape digital content creation
Recent updates in AI copyright law and new AI model releases are reshaping the landscape of AI-generated content creation, particularly in film and entertainment. Copyright clarity and industry impact: The U.S. Copyright Office has established clear guidelines for AI-generated content protection, marking a significant shift in how creative works using AI are legally protected. AI-generated material now qualifies for copyright protection when it demonstrates human creative input and direction Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter emphasized that protection extends to human creativity expressed through AI systems, but not to machine-determined content This clarification addresses a two-year period of legal uncertainty that had...
read Jan 30, 2025US Copyright Office: AI-assisted works can get copyright with enough human involvement
Key developments: The US Copyright Office has issued new guidelines clarifying when AI-assisted creative works can receive copyright protection, marking a significant development for artists and creators using AI tools. The Copyright Office, which processes approximately 500,000 copyright applications annually, will grant protection to works where human creativity remains central to the creation process AI-assisted works can qualify for copyright if an artist's creative input is clearly visible or if the work includes meaningful human modifications The office will continue rejecting copyright claims for fully machine-generated content, including works created solely through AI prompts Policy framework and requirements: Register of...
read Jan 29, 2025Apple faces allegations of outsourcing unethical data sourcing
Apple's AI practices face scrutiny from shareholders ahead of its February 25 Annual Shareholder Meeting, with specific concerns about data privacy and partnerships with AI companies. Key allegations: The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) has filed a proposal with the SEC questioning Apple's approach to AI development and data collection practices. The proposal, listed as No. 4 in Apple's 2025 proxy materials, calls for detailed reporting on AI data acquisition and ethics NLPC criticizes Apple for allegedly outsourcing "unethical practices" to partners while maintaining a privacy-friendly public image A particular focus is placed on Apple's $25 billion partnership with...
read Jan 29, 2025Web developers deploy digital quicksand to fight back against AI crawlers
A new battlefront has emerged in the struggle over AI training data, as tech developers deploy sophisticated "tarpit" software designed to entangle and frustrate AI web crawlers that ignore traditional access controls. These digital traps, including tools like Nepenthes and Iocaine, create endless mazes of meaningless data specifically engineered to ensnare AI companies' web crawlers while wasting their computational resources. The development of these defensive measures marks an escalation in the ongoing tension between AI companies' aggressive data collection practices and website owners' attempts to maintain control over their content, though their long-term effectiveness remains to be seen. The core...
read Jan 25, 2025Paul McCartney calls on UK government to reconsider AI copyright law
Sir Paul McCartney warns that proposed UK copyright law changes could enable AI companies to exploit artists' work without proper compensation. The core issue: The UK government is considering copyright law changes that would allow AI developers to use creators' online content for model training, with creators having to actively opt out rather than opt in. McCartney argues this could make it impossible for musicians and artists to earn a living from their work The proposed changes would permit AI companies to use online material for text and data mining without respecting existing copyright protections Artists would need to individually...
read Jan 23, 2025LinkedIn faces class-action lawsuit for training AI models on user messages
Microsoft's professional networking platform LinkedIn faces a class-action lawsuit in California over allegations it used private messages to train AI models without proper user consent. Key allegations: A LinkedIn Premium subscriber has filed a lawsuit claiming the platform unlawfully shared private direct messages with third parties for AI training purposes. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Stored Communications Act, Breach of Contract, and California's Unfair Competition Law The plaintiff is seeking $1,000 in damages and additional potential relief LinkedIn has denied these claims, stating they are "false claims with no merit" Data privacy concerns: LinkedIn implemented an opt-out setting for...
read Jan 23, 2025Meta’s top AI lawyer explains why he’s leaving the company
A prominent lawyer and Stanford professor has cut ties with Meta over concerns about the company's policy changes and leadership direction. The breaking point: Mark Lemley, a leading copyright attorney, announced his departure from Meta's defense team in the Kadrey v. Meta lawsuit, citing the company's controversial policy shifts and leadership decisions. Lemley explicitly stated he "fired" Meta as a client due to what he characterized as the company's "descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness" under Mark Zuckerberg's leadership A key factor in his decision was Meta's recent policy change allowing users to refer to gay and transgender individuals...
read Jan 20, 2025Authors demand Meta’s AI training data in copyright lawsuit
Meta faces allegations of using BitTorrent to download and distribute pirated books for AI training, leading to new developments in an ongoing copyright lawsuit filed by authors. Core allegations: Authors including Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Christopher Golden have filed a class action lawsuit against Meta for using their works without permission in AI training. Meta previously acknowledged using unofficial sources containing pirated content for AI training The company maintains that such use falls under fair use protection Meta denies that these allegations warrant updates to the original complaint New legal developments: United States District Judge Vince Chhabria has allowed...
read Jan 20, 2025Zuckerberg was reportedly aware that Meta trained its AI model on pirated works
The core revelation: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved the use of Library Genesis (LibGen), a known pirated content repository, to train the company's Llama 3 AI model, according to newly unsealed court documents. Key details of the disclosure: Internal communications revealed through a class-action lawsuit show Meta executives discussing the company's deliberate use of unauthorized copyrighted material. Sony Theakanath, Meta's director of product management, confirmed in an email that Zuckerberg approved LibGen's use for AI training The company explicitly planned to keep its use of LibGen confidential Meta employees discussed methods to remove copyright indicators from the pirated content Internal...
read Jan 20, 2025AI disrupts news industry as publishers fight for control
The News Media Alliance, a major publishing industry lobbying group, is preparing legal action against a prominent AI company over alleged copyright infringement of publisher content used to train AI models. The core issue: The News Media Alliance (NMA), representing major publishers like Gannett, Condé Nast, and others, plans to file a complaint alleging unauthorized use of publisher content in AI model training. The upcoming legal action will demonstrate instances where AI models allegedly copied text without proper attribution or licensing The specific AI company targeted remains undisclosed, though existing licensing deals between NMA members and OpenAI suggest it may...
read Jan 19, 2025Why Congress must act now to change AI copyright law
Current legal landscape: The fair use doctrine and existing copyright framework, primarily based on the Copyright Act of 1976, are proving inadequate for addressing the unique challenges posed by AI training data. AI companies heavily rely on the fair use doctrine to defend their training practices, but this legal concept wasn't designed with machine learning in mind Courts analyzing fair use consider factors like transformative use and market impact, which may work against AI companies since their models create verbatim copies and could potentially replace original works The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 provided updates for internet-related issues but...
read Jan 15, 2025Inside Meta’s race to do anything necessary to beat OpenAI
OpenAI and Meta are engaged in a high-stakes competition to develop advanced AI systems, with internal Meta documents revealing controversial data acquisition strategies. The core revelation: Meta executives discussed using pirated content from Library Genesis (LibGen), a book piracy website, to train their AI models while attempting to conceal this usage. Internal communications show Meta's primary objective was to match GPT-4's capabilities by any means necessary Company leadership viewed LibGen's content as "essential" for achieving state-of-the-art performance Executives discussed removing copyright information and metadata from training data to avoid legal complications Strategic considerations: Meta's internal deliberations highlight the growing challenge...
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