Six textbook authors, including Boston College professor Alan Marcus, have filed a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement. The suit claims the companies used their books, downloaded from pirate websites, to train large language models like ChatGPT.
TL;DR
- Six textbook authors sue OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging unauthorized use of their works to train AI models.
- The lawsuit seeks to represent all textbook authors whose copyrighted works were allegedly copied by the companies.
- The case is temporarily grouped with other copyright cases against OpenAI and Microsoft, including the New York Times' lawsuit.
What happened
Alan Marcus, a finance professor at Boston College, filed a proposed class-action lawsuit on August 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He is joined by five other current and former professors from across the country.
The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft downloaded the authors' books from pirate websites, copied them into datasets, and used them to train their large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT. The suit also names Microsoft for its role in building the infrastructure and profiting from the models.
The authors discovered the unauthorized use of their materials after The Atlantic published an investigation in August 2023. The complaint centers on two datasets, Books1 and Books2, which allegedly contain ebook files downloaded from Library Genesis, an online repository of pirated books.
The plaintiffs estimate that textbooks make up about a quarter of all the works the companies copied. They also allege that OpenAI developed software to remove copyright notices and other identifying information to conceal the use of copyrighted works.
Why it matters
This lawsuit highlights the ongoing debate over copyright infringement and fair use in the context of training AI models. It raises important questions about the ethical and legal implications of using copyrighted material without authorization.
For developers and startups, this case underscores the need to be vigilant about the sources of data used to train AI models. It also highlights the potential legal risks associated with building products that rely on such models.
Investors should be aware of the legal and ethical considerations that come with investing in AI companies. This case could have implications for the valuation and future prospects of companies like OpenAI and Microsoft, as well as the broader AI industry.
Key facts
- The lawsuit was filed on August 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
- The plaintiffs include Alan Marcus, a finance professor at Boston College, and five other current and former professors.
- The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used the authors' books, downloaded from pirate websites, to train their large language models.
- The complaint centers on two datasets, Books1 and Books2, which allegedly contain ebook files downloaded from Library Genesis.
- The plaintiffs estimate that textbooks make up about a quarter of all the works the companies copied.
- The lawsuit is temporarily grouped with other copyright cases against OpenAI and Microsoft, including the New York Times' lawsuit.
- As of publication, OpenAI and Microsoft have not responded to any of the allegations raised in the textbook authors' lawsuit.
- The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a brief supporting OpenAI and expressing the government's position that training AI models on copyrighted writing is fair use.
Context
This lawsuit is part of a broader conversation about the ethical and legal implications of using copyrighted material to train AI models. It follows the New York Times' lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, which was filed in 2023.
The case also highlights the potential impact of AI on the textbook industry. If AI tools can offer a 'good enough' substitute, it could incentivize buyers to skip purchasing the original work, posing a threat to textbook authors and publishers.
As the AI industry continues to grow, it is likely that we will see more lawsuits and debates over copyright infringement and fair use. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of ethical considerations in the development and deployment of AI technologies.