This topic deserves a more substantial piece; so this one is just a placeholder note for BINJ.News readers until I crank out a deeper dive. But I’m pleased to announce that the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism has joined 59 other publishers, who together run more than 500 news outlets, across the US to sue OpenAI and Microsoft for taking our articles in a violation of well-established copyright law to build the large-language models that are the core of their AI businesses without asking our permission … and definitely without providing us payment of any kind.
We’re part of the second group of publishers joining an existing legal action by 34 other publishers that was initiated in June by Platkin LLP—a public interest law firm founded in January by former New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin. An action that is itself in the orbit of the New York Times suit against the same companies that has been wending its way through the legal system for three years.
Platkin filed a complaint on behalf of our group of 26 local, regional and specialty publishers with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York—the same court that is hearing the New York Times lawsuit—on Wednesday. Expanding the number of plaintiffs in the June suit significantly. Which is exciting news to say the least.
There’s doubtless a long road ahead of us and our sibling publications before there’s any possibility of us getting any recompense for the copyright violations we maintain have been committed against us by OpenAI and Microsoft. But we’re all looking forward to the journey. More to come soon.
Jason Pramas is executive director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and editor-in-chief of BINJ.News.
