Any AI Copyright Case in the US, Visible

In May 2020, The media and technology conglomerate Thomson Reuters has sued a small AI software called Ross Intelligence, claiming it violated US copyright laws by reproducing material from Westlaw, Thomson Reuters’ legal research platform. As the epidemic grew, the case was not registered outside the small world of copycats. But it’s now clear that the lawsuit — filed more than two years before the generative AI boom began — was the first to be struck. a bigger battle between publishers and technology companies in court cases across the country. The results could make, break, or redefine information and the entire AI industry — and in doing so, affect almost everyone on the Internet.

Over the past two years, many lawsuits against AI companies have been filed fast clip. The critics include individual writers such as Sarah Silverman and Ta Nehisi-Coates, photographers, media companies such as The New York Times, and music industry giants like Universal Music Group. These various rights holders say that AI companies have used their work to train what are often the most profitable and powerful AI systems in a way that amounts to theft. AI companies often defend themselves by relying on what they know “fair work” doctrinestating that the construction of AI tools should be considered as acceptable use of copyrighted material without permission or providing compensation to the copyright holders. (Acceptable examples of fair use include fiction, news reports, and academic research.) Almost all major AI companies have been pulled out of this legal battle, including OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic, and Nvidia.

WIRED is closely monitoring how all of these cases unfold. We’ve created visuals to help you track and see how companies and rights holders are involved, where the lawsuits were filed, what they’re saying, and everything else you need to know.

The first story, Thomson Reuters v. Ross Intelligenceis still working its way through the courts. A trial that was supposed to happen earlier this year has been delayed indefinitely, and while the cost of litigation has put Ross out of business, it’s unclear when it will end. Other lawsuits, such as the lawsuit brought by The New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft, are ongoing. predictable timeswhile both are arguing about what they want to change.