News Outlets Seattle Times and Newsday File Lawsuits Against OpenAI and Microsoft Over Unauthorised Use of Their Content

The Seattle Times and Newsday have each filed separate lawsuits against artificial‑intelligence powerhouses OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the companies harvested and reproduced articles from the newspapers without securing proper licensing. The complaints, filed in federal court, claim the tech firms' large‑language models and associated services have been trained on the publishers' copyrighted material, violating intellectual‑property rights and depriving the outlets of revenue.

According to the filings, the plaintiffs assert that OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s AI integrations, including the Copilot suite, rely on vast datasets that contain full‑text articles from the two newspapers. The lawsuits argue that the companies did not obtain permission, nor did they compensate the publishers for the use of their reporting, which the plaintiffs say is a clear breach of U.S. copyright law. Both suits seek injunctive relief to halt further use of the disputed content and monetary damages for alleged losses.

These actions join a growing wave of legal challenges aimed at generative‑AI developers, who have faced criticism from the publishing industry for building models on copyrighted text. Earlier this year, other media companies, including the Associated Press and major news aggregators, raised similar concerns, prompting a broader debate about how AI systems should be trained and whether new licensing frameworks are needed. The Seattle Times and Newsday’s complaints add weight to calls for clearer rules governing the balance between technological innovation and the rights of content creators.

OpenAI and Microsoft have not commented publicly on the specific lawsuits, though both firms have previously stated that they strive to respect intellectual‑property rights and have implemented measures such as content filters and opt‑out mechanisms for certain publishers. Industry observers note that the outcomes of these cases could set precedent for how AI companies source data, potentially influencing future partnerships, licensing agreements, or even prompting legislative action.

Legal experts say the cases will likely hinge on whether the courts view the training process as a “fair use” activity or a direct infringement of copyrighted works. If the plaintiffs succeed, AI developers may be required to negotiate licensing deals with news organizations, reshaping the economics of AI model training. Conversely, a ruling in favor of OpenAI and Microsoft could reaffirm the current approach of using publicly available text for model development. The lawsuits underscore the tension between rapid AI advancement and the need to protect the livelihoods of journalists and the integrity of news content.