CIR Sues Microsoft and OpenAI for Copyright Infringement

Synopsis: The Center for Investigative Reporting sues Microsoft and OpenAI for allegedly using its copyrighted content to train AI models without permission or compensation, joining other media entities in similar legal actions.

The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR), the organization behind Mother Jones and Reveal, has initiated legal proceedings against Microsoft and OpenAI, alleging copyright infringement. This lawsuit claims that the tech giants have unlawfully scraped CIR's journalistic content to enhance the capabilities of their AI products, particularly OpenAI's ChatGPT, without authorization or compensation.

Filed on Thursday, this lawsuit echoes the concerns raised in similar legal actions by The New York Times and other prominent media organizations. CIR's CEO, Monika Bauerlein, emphasized that OpenAI and Microsoft harvested their stories to improve their AI without seeking permission or providing compensation. She criticized this practice as not only unfair but also a direct violation of copyright laws. Bauerlein stated, "The work of journalists is valuable, and OpenAI and Microsoft know it."

The legal complaint underscores that the unauthorized use of CIR's content undermines their relationships with readers and partners while depriving them of rightful revenue. This lawsuit adds CIR to the growing list of media entities pursuing legal action against these tech companies over similar issues.

In response, an OpenAI spokesperson mentioned that the company collaborates with news publishers to display content in products like ChatGPT, ensuring summaries, quotes, and proper attribution to drive traffic back to original articles.

This legal battle is part of a broader trend, with media organizations like The New York Times, Alden Global Capital-owned publications, and others also suing for similar reasons. However, some media entities have opted for a different approach by signing licensing deals with OpenAI, including The Associated Press, the Financial Times, and News Corp, among others.