Seattle Times and Newsday Sue OpenAI, Microsoft Over AI Training

Two major regional newspapers have filed copyright infringement lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft, escalating the legal battle between news publishers and AI companies over the use of journalistic content in training large language models.

The Seattle Times and Newsday allege that OpenAI used their reporting as training data without authorization and that the company's AI systems reproduce passages from their articles when responding to user queries. The lawsuit, first reported by The Verge, also names Microsoft as a defendant because its Copilot product is built on OpenAI's technology.

Why it matters

The lawsuit represents a critical test of whether AI companies can freely train models on copyrighted material or must negotiate licensing agreements with content creators. The publishers' demand for model destruction—rather than just monetary damages—could force OpenAI to fundamentally rebuild its systems if successful, setting a precedent that would reshape the AI industry's approach to training data.

Pattern of Publisher Litigation

The Seattle Times and Newsday join a growing roster of media companies challenging OpenAI in court. Previous plaintiffs include The New York Times, Ziff Davis, Merriam-Webster, and Encyclopedia Britannica. Nearly 400 local newspapers have also filed suit against OpenAI and Microsoft.

Publishers argue that AI chatbots directly harm their business model by reducing the need for readers to visit their websites for information and answers, costing them subscription revenue. When users can get article summaries or answers derived from news reporting through a chatbot interface, the original publishers lose both traffic and potential subscribers.

Unprecedented Remedy Sought

The lawsuit seeks an unusually aggressive remedy. Beyond financial damages, The Seattle Times and Newsday are demanding the destruction of any copies of their works held by OpenAI and Microsoft, along with training datasets and AI models that incorporate their content.

This request goes further than typical copyright infringement cases, which usually focus on monetary compensation. If granted, it would require OpenAI to delete or rebuild portions of its models—a technically complex and potentially expensive undertaking that could affect the performance of systems already deployed to millions of users.

No Response Yet

OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit, according to The Verge's reporting.

The case adds to mounting legal pressure on AI companies to address how they source and use training data, particularly copyrighted material created by professional journalists and publishers. The outcome could influence whether the AI industry moves toward licensing agreements with content creators or continues defending its current practices in court.

Details of the lawsuit were first reported by Terrence O'Brien at The Verge.