OpenAI 'Very Positive' About Licensing Deals Negotiation With Publishers Amid NYT's Copyright Lawsuit

ChatGPT-parent OpenAI, has been in negotiation with various publishers to license their content amidst a copyright lawsuit filed by The New York Times Co. NYT.

What Happened: Tom Rubin, chief of intellectual property and content at OpenAI, announced the ongoing discussions with several publishers, describing them as positive and forward-moving.

"We are in the middle of many negotiations and discussions with many publishers. They are active. They are very positive. They're progressing well," Rubin told Bloomberg, adding, "You've seen deals announced, and there will be more in the future."

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Earlier it was reported that OpenAI secured a multiyear licensing agreement with Axel Springer SE, Politico’s parent company, and The Associated Press. 

However, last week The New York Times lodged a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft Corporation MSFT for using their articles without permission. This lawsuit could significantly disrupt OpenAI’s operations.

As per Rubin, "The current situation is vastly different than the situations that the publishers faced in the past with search engines and social media." 

"Here, the content is used for training a model. It's not used to reproduce the content. It's not used to replace the content."

On the other hand, The New York Times said, "If Microsoft and OpenAI want to use our work for commercial purposes, the law requires that they first obtain our permission."

"They have not done so.”

Why It Matters: The licensing negotiations follow a series of lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. In December last year, a group of 11 Pulitzer Prize-winning authors joined a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the companies of using their works for AI training programs without permission. 

Previously in July 2023, comedian Sarah Silverman sued OpenAI and Meta Platforms Inc. over alleged copyright infringement. These lawsuits highlight the ongoing tension between tech companies and content creators over the use of copyrighted material in AI development.

Parent OpenAI. Photo by rafapress on Shutterstock.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.