News/Law
NYPD taps FDNY to bypass facial recognition ban
The NYPD circumvented its facial recognition ban by using the New York Fire Department to identify a pro-Palestinian protester at Columbia University, according to court documents and a recent lawsuit. The arrangement allowed police to access Clearview AI facial recognition technology and DMV records that are typically restricted under NYPD policy, raising significant concerns about surveillance oversight and government accountability. What happened: Fire marshals used Clearview AI to identify Zuhdi Ahmed, a 21-year-old CUNY pre-med student, after he was accused of throwing a rock at a pro-Israeli protester during April 2024 demonstrations at Columbia University. The FDNY searched social media...
read Jul 14, 2025Battle of the Clone: Voice actors win court battle against AI voice cloning startup
A federal judge in New York has allowed a lawsuit from voice-over artists Paul Skye Lehrman and Linnea Sage to proceed against AI voice startup Lovo Inc., which allegedly used their voices without permission to create AI voice clones. The decision marks a significant development in the growing wave of litigation against AI companies over unauthorized use of creative work, potentially setting precedent for how courts handle voice rights in the age of artificial intelligence. What you should know: The judge dismissed federal copyright claims for the voices themselves but allowed breach of contract and deceptive business practices claims to...
read Jul 2, 2025False, flagged: Maine police caught using AI to fake drug bust photo on Facebook
The Westbrook Maine Police Department posted an AI-generated image of a supposed drug bust on Facebook, then doubled down and falsely claimed it was real when called out by residents. The incident highlights growing concerns about law enforcement's understanding of AI technology and the potential for digital evidence manipulation. What happened: Police shared an obviously fake photo over the weekend featuring telltale AI artifacts like gibberish text on drug packaging and scales. • When AI-savvy locals immediately identified the image as artificial, the department posted a defensive follow-up insisting "this is NOT an AI-generated photo." • Officers claimed the "weird"...
read Jun 30, 2025Trump fires US Copyright Office leader amid critical AI lawsuits
The Trump administration's abrupt firing of US Copyright Office leader Shira Perlmutter has left the agency without effective leadership during a critical period for AI copyright litigation. The dismissal, which Perlmutter is challenging in court as invalid, has created operational dysfunction at an agency that has gained new prominence issuing key AI copyright rulings. What you should know: The Copyright Office has been operating without a confirmed leader since May, when Perlmutter was fired via email by the White House's deputy director of personnel. Perlmutter is suing the Trump administration, arguing that only the Librarian of Congress has authority to...
read Jun 25, 2025Authors sue Microsoft over 200K pirated books used for AI training
A group of prominent authors, including Kai Bird and Jia Tolentino, has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft in New York federal court, alleging the tech giant used pirated versions of their books without permission to train its Megatron AI model. The case represents the latest in a series of high-stakes copyright battles between content creators and major tech companies over the unauthorized use of copyrighted material in AI development. What you should know: The lawsuit alleges Microsoft used nearly 200,000 pirated books to train Megatron, an AI algorithm designed to generate text responses to user prompts.• The authors claim Microsoft...
read Jun 25, 2025“But where’s the AI?” Law firms must now prove artificial intelligence skills to win clients
AI is transforming client expectations of law firms, with companies now requiring legal service providers to demonstrate how they integrate generative artificial intelligence with human expertise in their proposals. This shift is fundamentally changing how lawyers work, train, and compete for business, forcing both law firms and in-house legal teams to navigate complex new relationships between human experts and digital tools. The big picture: Law firms must now prove their AI capabilities to win business, with clients evaluating how firms blend technology with legal expertise rather than just traditional legal skills. Ashurst recently won a competitive pitch specifically because of...
read Jun 24, 2025Judge rules Anthropic’s book scanning for AI training is fair use
Anthropic has scored a significant legal victory in an AI copyright case, with a federal judge ruling that training AI models on legally purchased books constitutes fair use. However, the company still faces a separate trial for allegedly pirating millions of books from the internet, creating a mixed outcome that could shape future AI copyright litigation. The big picture: Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California delivered a first-of-its-kind ruling favoring the AI industry, but with important limitations that distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate training practices. What you should know: The ruling specifically covers Anthropic's practice of purchasing...
read Jun 24, 2025$3B AI startup OpenEvidence sues Doximity for alleged corporate espionage
Cambridge-based medical AI company OpenEvidence has filed a federal lawsuit against San Francisco competitor Doximity, alleging corporate espionage that included executives impersonating physicians to steal proprietary technology. The suit claims Doximity's top executives used fake medical credentials to access OpenEvidence's physician-only platform and extract trade secrets, representing what OpenEvidence calls "an egregious case of corporate theft in the emerging AI industry." What you should know: OpenEvidence is valued at $3 billion and backed by major venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins. The company provides AI-powered medical information to physicians, described by Forbes as "ChatGPT for...
read Jun 23, 2025Judge weighs in on OpenAI’s $6.5B Jony Ive partnership and trademark dispute
OpenAI has temporarily removed all mentions of its $6.5 billion partnership with legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive from its website following a federal judge's ruling in favor of a trademark dispute. The legal challenge comes from IYO, an AI hardware startup that claims OpenAI's "io Products" branding infringes on its trademark, forcing the tech giant to halt marketing efforts for the high-profile collaboration until an October hearing. What you should know: U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled that IYO has a strong enough case to proceed, issuing a temporary restraining order against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and Jony Ive. The...
read Jun 23, 2025Apple faces class-action lawsuit over delayed Siri AI features
Apple faces a federal securities class-action lawsuit from shareholders who claim the company knowingly promoted incomplete Siri AI features for the iPhone 16 despite lacking a functional prototype. The lawsuit, filed by shareholder Eric Tucker, targets CEO Tim Cook and current and former CFOs, alleging violations of US securities laws after Apple's stock fell in March 2025 following confirmation that advanced Siri features won't arrive until 2026. What you should know: The lawsuit represents all individuals or entities who purchased Apple shares between June 10, 2024, and June 9, 2025, seeking damages for alleged securities violations. • Filed against CEO...
read Jun 20, 2025BBC threatens legal action against Perplexity for unauthorized content use
The BBC has threatened legal action against US-based AI company Perplexity, accusing the firm of reproducing BBC content "verbatim" without permission through its chatbot. This marks the first time the world's largest public broadcaster has taken such action against an AI company, highlighting escalating tensions between media organizations and AI firms over unauthorized content use. What you should know: The BBC sent a formal legal letter to Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas demanding immediate cessation of BBC content use, deletion of stored material, and financial compensation. The letter states this "constitutes copyright infringement in the UK and breach of the BBC's...
read Jun 19, 2025Midjourney launches 5-second video tool amid Disney lawsuit
Midjourney, a leading AI image generation company, has launched its first video creation tool, allowing users to transform still images into 5-second video clips with the press of an "Animate" button. The release comes just one week after Disney and NBCUniversal filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the company, alleging it has profited from their intellectual property by generating images of characters from Marvel, Star Wars, The Simpsons, and other major franchises. What you should know: Midjourney's new video model charges approximately eight times more than image generation but claims to be "over 25 times cheaper" than existing market alternatives....
read Jun 19, 2025Minnesota solar firm sues Google for $110M over AI-generated defamation
Wolf River Electric, a Minnesota solar company, is suing Google for $110-210 million in damages after the tech giant's AI Overviews feature allegedly fabricated defamatory claims about the company facing lawsuits for deceptive sales practices. The case represents potentially groundbreaking legal territory as courts grapple with whether AI companies can be held liable for harmful misinformation generated by their large language models. What happened: Google's AI Overviews confidently claimed Wolf River Electric was being sued by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for "deceptive sales practices," including lying to customers about savings and tricking homeowners into signing contracts with hidden fees....
read Jun 18, 2025Indian police arrest man for deepfake video targeting chief minister
Odisha police have arrested a construction worker for creating and sharing an AI-generated deepfake video depicting Chief Minister Mohan Majhi in an obscene manner on Facebook. The arrest marks another case in India's growing crackdown on AI-generated content used for defamation and harassment, highlighting the challenges law enforcement faces with synthetic media. What happened: The Cyber Crime Unit of Odisha Crime Branch arrested Kishore Kausalya, a construction company employee from Rayagada district, following a complaint about the morphed video. The fake video was designed to defame the Chief Minister and "tarnish his image in the eyes of the public," according...
read Jun 17, 2025NAACP sues Musk’s xAI for operating unpermitted gas turbines in Black communities
The NAACP has filed an intent to sue Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI over air pollution concerns from its supercomputer facility in Memphis, Tennessee. The legal challenge targets the company's use of gas turbines that operate near predominantly Black communities without proper permits, highlighting environmental justice issues in AI infrastructure development. The big picture: xAI's Memphis data center has been operating for over a year using gas turbines without the required air quality permits, potentially violating the Clean Air Act in communities already facing elevated pollution levels. Key details: The facility began operations in 2024 powered by pollution-emitting gas...
read Jun 16, 2025Jury acquits consultant behind AI Biden robocalls in New Hampshire
A New Hampshire jury acquitted political consultant Steven Kramer on all charges related to sending AI-generated robocalls that mimicked President Biden's voice to thousands of Democratic voters before the 2024 primary. The case represents one of the first major legal tests of how courts will handle AI-powered election interference, with implications for how similar cases might be prosecuted as artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated and accessible. What happened: Kramer, a 56-year-old New Orleans political consultant, admitted to orchestrating the robocalls sent two days before New Hampshire's January 23, 2024, presidential primary. The AI-generated voice mimicked Biden's speech patterns and used...
read Jun 13, 2025New bill offers AI developers lawsuit protection in exchange for greater transparency
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis has introduced the Responsible Innovation and Safe Expertise Act of 2025 (RISE), the first standalone bill offering AI developers conditional legal immunity from civil lawsuits in exchange for comprehensive transparency requirements. The legislation would require companies to publicly disclose training data, evaluation methods, and system specifications while maintaining traditional liability standards for professionals using AI tools in their practice. What you should know: RISE creates a "safe harbor" provision that shields AI developers from civil suits only when they meet strict disclosure requirements. Developers must publish detailed model cards containing training data, evaluation methods, performance metrics,...
read Jun 13, 2025San Francisco police test AI software that writes reports from body camera footage
The San Francisco Police Department is testing artificial intelligence software called Draft One that generates first drafts of police reports from body-worn camera recordings. The pilot program, which began last month, involves 54 officers at two stations using the AI tool for citations and misdemeanor cases, excluding domestic violence, sexual assault, and DUI incidents. What you should know: The AI software extracts information from body camera footage to create initial report drafts, though officers must still review, edit, and sign off on accuracy before submission. As of Tuesday, "no current report narrative drafted by Draft One involves an arrest," according...
read Jun 12, 2025Meta sues company behind AI “nudifying” apps in landmark legal action
Meta has filed a lawsuit against the company behind CrushAI apps for promoting "nudifying" applications on Facebook and Instagram, marking its most aggressive legal action yet against AI-powered non-consensual intimate image creation. The lawsuit follows a months-long battle to remove thousands of ads promoting apps that use artificial intelligence to create fake nude images without consent, highlighting the platform's struggle to combat this growing form of digital abuse. What you should know: Meta's legal action targets a company that persistently evaded advertising restrictions through sophisticated workarounds. In January, researchers found 8,010 instances of CrushAI ads promoting nudifying apps across Facebook...
read Jun 11, 2025Disney and NBCUniversal sue Midjourney for AI copyright infringement
Disney and NBCUniversal have filed the first major Hollywood lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney, accusing the company of copyright infringement for allowing users to create images of characters like Darth Vader and Shrek. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Los Angeles, marks a significant escalation in the entertainment industry's battle against generative AI companies over intellectual property rights. What you should know: The studios describe Midjourney as a "bottomless pit of plagiarism" that enables users to generate what they call "AI slop"—personalized images of copyrighted characters. Disney Enterprises, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 20th Century, Universal City Studios Productions, and...
read Jun 11, 2025Meta’s Llama 3.1 memorized entire books including Harry Potters’, faces potential $1B lawsuit
New research reveals that Meta's Llama 3.1 70B AI model has memorized nearly complete text from popular books including Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Great Gatsby, and 1984. This discovery could expose Meta to over $1 billion in statutory damages if courts rule against the company in ongoing copyright infringement cases, fundamentally shifting the legal landscape around AI training on copyrighted materials. What you should know: Researchers tested 13 AI models to determine how much copyrighted book content they could reproduce verbatim, finding dramatic differences between companies. Meta's model demonstrated extensive memorization of entire books, while most other...
read Jun 9, 2025Getty vs Stability AI trial in London begins first major copyright case for generative AI
Getty Images and artificial intelligence company Stability AI are facing off in London's High Court in the first major copyright trial targeting the generative AI industry. The three-week trial, which began Monday, centers on Getty's claims that Stability's widely-used Stable Diffusion image generator constitutes "brazen infringement" of Getty's photography collection "on a staggering scale," potentially setting crucial precedents for how AI companies can legally train their models on copyrighted content. What you should know: Getty Images, a Seattle-based stock photography company, filed copyright infringement lawsuits in both the US and UK in early 2023, challenging the common tech industry practice...
read Jun 5, 2025Anthropic faces Reddit lawsuit over unauthorized data use
The legal battle over AI training data has reached a new front as Reddit challenges Anthropic's data practices in court, marking another significant clash between content platforms and AI companies over intellectual property rights. This lawsuit highlights the growing tension between social media platforms seeking to monetize their content and AI companies that need vast amounts of training data to develop their models. The big picture: Reddit has filed a lawsuit against AI startup Anthropic, accusing the Claude chatbot maker of scraping and using Reddit's content for training without permission despite public assurances it wouldn't do so. The complaint, filed...
read Jun 3, 2025Large Language Poor Role Model: Lawyer dismissed for using ChatGPT’s false citations
The legal profession is confronting the real-world consequences of AI hallucination as recent graduates face career setbacks from overreliance on chatbots. A case in Utah has highlighted the dangerous intersection of legal practice and AI tools, where fake citations in court filings led to sanctions, firing, and a pointed judicial warning about AI's limitations. This incident demonstrates how professional standards are evolving in response to AI adoption, with courts and firms establishing new guardrails to protect both the justice system and vulnerable professionals. The big picture: A recent law school graduate lost his job after including AI-hallucinated legal citations in...
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