OpenAI in Legal Crosshairs
• ChatGPT Accused of Undermining Online News Industry
• DNPA Warns: ChatGPT May Render Online News Obsolete
•Law vs. Technology: 1957 Copyright Act Faces AI Era Challenges
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
In a pivotal copyright case, ANI and DNPA told the Delhi High Court that OpenAI’s ChatGPT threatens the future of digital journalism by using online news without authorization. Arguing infringement, they warned that AI could erase online media entirely. The case may redefine copyright laws in the age of generative AI.
Copyright Infringement Allegations Against OpenAI Spark Legal Showdown
In a landmark case with implications for the future of journalism, the Delhi High Court is hearing a copyright infringement suit filed by Asian News International (ANI) against OpenAI, developer of the large language model ChatGPT. The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), which includes top Indian media houses such as The Times Group, The Hindu, The Indian Express, and NDTV, has intervened in the case.
Justice Amit Bansal presided over the recent hearing where Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao represented DNPA. He argued that OpenAI’s use of publicly accessible online news reports to train ChatGPT constitutes a clear violation of copyright law. Rao emphasized that “even storage of an infringing copy for a transient moment” is a breach under existing legal frameworks.
Click Here To Download the News Attachment
Contents
- OpenAI in Legal Crosshairs
- • ChatGPT Accused of Undermining Online News Industry
- • DNPA Warns: ChatGPT May Render Online News Obsolete
- •Law vs. Technology: 1957 Copyright Act Faces AI Era Challenges
- Copyright Infringement Allegations Against OpenAI Spark Legal Showdown
- DNPA Warns: ChatGPT May Render Online News Obsolete
- Law vs. Technology: 1957 Copyright Act Faces AI Era Challenges
- Sprouts SIT Monitors High-Stakes Legal Battle Over AI and Media Rights
DNPA Warns: ChatGPT May Render Online News Obsolete
Rao’s submissions painted a grim picture for the future of digital journalism. He pointed out that physical newspaper circulation has already plummeted, and now digital news faces existential threats due to AI models like ChatGPT. “Physical newspapers are disappearing, digital news will disappear, and only ChatGPT will remain. It reduces my incentive to publish,” he told the court.
He further argued that OpenAI’s scraping of publicly available content without explicit authorization undermines the business model and editorial autonomy of media organizations. “If I have the exclusive right, and you take from the public domain without permission, it is still infringement,” Rao insisted, invoking both the Copyright Act, 1957 and international IP norms.
The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) has been closely tracking the proceedings, noting that the case could reshape copyright enforcement mechanisms in the AI era.
Law vs. Technology: 1957 Copyright Act Faces AI Era Challenges
The case has highlighted a growing disconnect between outdated laws and emerging technology. Justice Bansal acknowledged the legal gap, remarking, “This is a classic case where a law, last amended in 2012, is trying to keep pace with technology.”
In a notable example of alleged copyright infringement, Rao revealed that ChatGPT had reproduced interview excerpts when prompted by one of his colleagues—raising questions about how AI models retain and reproduce copyrighted content during inference.
Rao further argued that even for research purposes, OpenAI must obtain content through legitimate, licensed means. “Just like users buy SCC Online to access legal content, AI models too should acquire data lawfully,” he stated.
The court was reminded that mere public accessibility does not eliminate copyright protections, especially when content is used for commercial training purposes by AI firms.
Also Read: IRDAI Slaps ₹5 Crore Penalty on Policybazaar for Breaches.
Sprouts SIT Monitors High-Stakes Legal Battle Over AI and Media Rights
This lawsuit, spearheaded by ANI and supported by DNPA, is likely to set a precedent for how AI companies handle copyrighted data. OpenAI has countered that news reporting enjoys only limited copyright protection, especially where public interest in information dissemination is high.
However, media stakeholders argue that such reasoning erodes the economic and editorial foundation of newsrooms. According to the Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT), this case is one of several globally where AI models are being challenged for unauthorized use of journalistic content.
The next hearings are scheduled for August 18, September 12, and September 23, during which Rao will continue presenting DNPA’s legal arguments.
As generative AI continues to evolve, this legal clash could become a watershed moment in defining the limits of AI’s access to intellectual property, particularly in journalism, publishing, and content licensing.
