Leading Canadian News Organizations File Lawsuit Against OpenAI

04.12.2024

A coalition of major Canadian news organizations has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the developer of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, accusing the company of illegally using their news articles to train its software. Among the plaintiffs are prominent media outlets such as the Toronto Star, Metroland Media, Postmedia, The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, and CBC.

The plaintiffs argue that OpenAI’s use of their journalism for commercial purposes without permission is unlawful. They contend that journalism serves the public interest, and the unauthorized use of their content by OpenAI undermines that principle. In a joint statement, the media organizations stressed that OpenAI’s actions are illegal and damaging to the industry.

OpenAI, on the other hand, maintains that its AI models are trained on publicly available data and adhere to fair use principles and international copyright guidelines. The company has stated that it collaborates with news publishers, ensuring proper attribution and providing options for publishers to opt out if they choose.

In its legal filing, the Canadian media group accuses OpenAI of disregarding paywalls and copyright protections that are in place to prevent unauthorized use of content. The lawsuit claims that OpenAI routinely scrapes large amounts of material from Canadian media outlets to develop products like ChatGPT, without consent.

The media coalition is seeking significant compensation, requesting C$20,000 ($14,300) per article allegedly used to train ChatGPT, which could result in billions of dollars in damages. Additionally, the plaintiffs are asking for an injunction to prevent OpenAI from using their content in the future and to share any profits generated from the use of their articles. This legal action mirrors similar lawsuits in the United States, including one filed by the New York Times and other publishers last year.