OpenAI and Microsoft (MSFT.O) are facing class-action lawsuits for copyright infringement. 

OpenAI is alleged to have copied protected materials from the internet to train its AI large language models without the permission of copyright owners. Sarah Silverman, comedian and author, alongside other authors brought a class action against OpenAI before the US District, California.

The lawsuit is one of several. Many copyright owners and writers across the globe including prominent authors like Julian Sancton, John Grisham and George R.R Martin have come against OpenAI and other AI companies over the same copyright infringement and allege that OpenAI copied Sancton’s non-fiction books including, ‘Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night‘ to train its large language models. Similarly, John Grisham with other prominent writers, visual artists, and source code owners under a trade group for United States authors sued generative AI providers for an alleged unauthorised use of their works.

The AI companies have denied these allegations based on fair use under US copyright law.

The copyright owners desire to have control over the use of their works by generative AI. In the various suits, they have respectively prayed to the courts for damages as well as an order to cease the alleged infringement.

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