Editorial Perfil, publisher of the Buenos Aires Times, has filed a $1.5 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement and unfair competition. The case highlights the ongoing tension between AI companies and publishers over content usage.
TL;DR
- Perfil sues OpenAI and Microsoft for $1.5B, claiming AI models use its content without permission.
- The lawsuit follows similar cases by The New York Times and Folha de São Paulo, highlighting the growing tension between AI companies and publishers.
- OpenAI has signed content licensing agreements with some publishers, but Perfil argues that the practice of using content without permission is widespread and harmful to journalism.
What happened
Editorial Perfil, the publisher of the Buenos Aires Times, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement and unfair competition. The lawsuit, filed in Argentina's Federal Civil and Commercial Court, seeks $1.5 billion in damages.
Perfil claims that OpenAI's AI models, including ChatGPT, use its journalistic content without permission, bypassing paywalls and even using 'copy-cat' websites that illegally reproduce its content. The publisher argues that this practice is not only a violation of copyright but also an abuse of the companies' oligopolistic position.
The lawsuit follows similar cases brought by The New York Times and Folha de São Paulo. The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in late 2023, while Folha de São Paulo brought a case in 2025 that ultimately resulted in a content licensing agreement earlier this year. Perfil is the first Spanish-language publisher to engage in copyright infringement litigation with a major AI firm.
Why it matters
This lawsuit highlights the growing tension between AI companies and publishers over the use of journalistic content. AI models rely heavily on data to train their systems, and much of this data is scraped from the internet, including copyrighted content.
The lawsuit could have significant implications for the AI industry, as it raises questions about the legality of using copyrighted content without permission. If successful, it could set a precedent for other publishers to take legal action against AI companies.
For publishers, the lawsuit is a critical step in protecting their content and business models. The news industry has been in crisis for decades, and the parasitical extraction of value by AI firms is exacerbating the situation. By taking a stand, Perfil is not only defending its own interests but also those of the broader journalistic community.
Key facts
- Editorial Perfil has filed a $1.5 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement and unfair competition.
- The lawsuit was filed in Argentina's Federal Civil and Commercial Court and received by Judge Silvina Andrea Bracamonte of the first courthouse.
- Perfil claims that OpenAI's AI models use its journalistic content without permission, bypassing paywalls and using 'copy-cat' websites that illegally reproduce its content.
- The lawsuit follows similar cases brought by The New York Times and Folha de São Paulo.
- Perfil is the first Spanish-language publisher to engage in copyright infringement litigation with a major AI firm.
- OpenAI has signed content licensing agreements with some publishers, including NewsCorp, the Financial Times, and Axel Springer.
- The news industry has been in crisis for decades, and the parasitical extraction of value by AI firms is exacerbating the situation.
Context
The lawsuit is part of a broader trend of publishers taking legal action against AI companies for using their content without permission. The New York Times and Folha de São Paulo have both brought similar cases, highlighting the growing tension between AI companies and publishers.
The use of copyrighted content to train AI models is a contentious issue. While some AI companies have signed content licensing agreements with publishers, others continue to use content without permission, arguing that it falls under 'fair use'.
The news industry has been in crisis for decades, with the disruption caused by the digital ecosystem not being accompanied by new and sustainable business models. The parasitical extraction of value by AI firms is exacerbating the situation, leading to more destruction in the news media ecosystem.
