The Seattle Times and Newsday have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft over unauthorized AI model training data.
- The Seattle Times and Newsday filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft.
- The publishers allege OpenAI used their journalism as training data without permission.
- Microsoft is included as a defendant because Microsoft Copilot runs on OpenAI technology.
- Nearly 400 local newspapers have recently joined similar legal actions against the two tech companies.
The Seattle Times and Newsday filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging the tech companies used their journalism as AI training data without permission and reproduced original reporting in user queries.
The legal battles facing generative artificial intelligence developers continue to multiply as media companies demand compensation for intellectual property used in model training. The Seattle Times and Newsday have officially filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that both tech companies utilized copyrighted journalism without permission to train artificial intelligence models like GPT-6 Astra. According to The Verge, the two regional publishers joined nearly 400 local newspapers in targeting the creators of ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot for reproducing original reporting in response to user prompts without authorization or financial compensation.
This latest litigation mirrors complaints brought by other prominent media organizations, including The New York Times, Ziff Davis, Merriam-Webster, and Encyclopedia Britannica. By naming Microsoft as a co-defendant alongside OpenAI, the publishers are directly attacking the commercial distribution pipeline that integrates large language models into enterprise and consumer software via Microsoft Copilot. As courts begin sorting through these massive intellectual property disputes, the outcome could fundamentally reshape how artificial intelligence startups and tech conglomerates license text data for future model iterations.
Why Publishers Are Targeting AI Giants
Publishers are targeting artificial intelligence giants because foundational models ingest vast amounts of copyrighted journalism to train conversational systems without securing licensing agreements or paying royalties. Companies like OpenAI and Microsoft deploy web crawlers to harvest articles, investigative reports, and local news coverage, storing that text within proprietary training datasets. When users query tools powered by GPT-6 Astra or Microsoft Copilot, the systems frequently regurgitate verbatim passages or close paraphrases of original reporting, effectively undercutting publisher subscription models and web traffic revenue. The Seattle Times and Newsday argue that this unauthorized commercial exploitation goes far beyond fair use doctrine, threatening the economic viability of professional journalism across local and regional markets.
The financial stakes for both industries are immense. Media outlets see their core assets harvested to build commercial software products worth hundreds of billions of dollars, while tech firms claim that restricting web scraping would severely impair technological progress. As nearly 400 local newspapers coordinate their legal strategies against these platforms, the pressure on federal judges to establish clear precedents regarding fair use in the age of generative intelligence grows increasingly urgent.
- The Seattle Times and Newsday filed a joint copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft.
- The complaint alleges that both companies used proprietary journalism as training data without permission.
- Microsoft is named as a defendant because Microsoft Copilot relies directly on OpenAI technology.
- The publishers join a coalition of nearly 400 local newspapers taking similar legal action.
"The Seattle Times and Newsday are just the latest plaintiffs to take OpenAI to court, alleging copyright infringement based on unauthorized data scraping and output replication."
What to watch next
As this high-stakes copyright litigation unfolds across federal courts, media executives and technology leaders are monitoring specific procedural milestones that will signal how judges view training data rights. First, watch for class-certification motions or consolidation requests that might bundle these regional publisher complaints with existing media lawsuits. Second, pay close attention to any preliminary discovery rulings regarding how OpenAI and Microsoft document their training datasets and data retention policies. Third, track settlement discussions or licensing frameworks that major publishers might negotiate independently with AI developers, which could establish an industry standard before a final trial verdict is reached.
Frequently asked
Why are The Seattle Times and Newsday suing OpenAI?
The Seattle Times and Newsday are suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging that the companies used their journalism as training data for AI models without permission and reproduced passages in user responses.
Why is Microsoft named as a defendant in the lawsuit?
Microsoft is named as a defendant because its Microsoft Copilot product is built directly on OpenAI technology and commercializes the underlying AI models accused of using unauthorized journalism.
What other media outlets have sued OpenAI?
Other media outlets that have filed copyright lawsuits against OpenAI include The New York Times, Ziff Davis, Merriam-Webster, and Encyclopedia Britannica, alongside a coalition of nearly 400 local newspapers.
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