Publishers and authors sue Google for copyright infringement in AI training
Google faces a class-action lawsuit from publishers and authors who allege the tech giant used copyrighted works without authorization to train its Gemini AI platform.
A coalition of publishers and authors has filed a class-action lawsuit against Google, accusing the technology company of using their copyrighted works without permission to train its artificial intelligence platform, Gemini.
The plaintiffs include Hachette Livre, Cengage Group, Elsevier, and authors Scott Turow and S.C.R.I.B.E. The lawsuit further alleges that Google deliberately removed or altered copyright information in these works to conceal the fact that the Gemini model was trained on stolen material.
This legal action is one of many copyright disputes filed by publishers, authors, and other copyright holders against AI companies. While many of these cases are ongoing, some U.S. courts have previously issued rulings that lean towards favoring AI companies, suggesting that using copyrighted material for AI training could be considered "fair use."
The plaintiffs claim Google illegally copied works restricted by use limitations, including content from Google Books and the Google Play Store, to train its AI. Google has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Filed in New York, this lawsuit presents an opportunity for another judge to weigh in on the fair use doctrine concerning AI training. The case is further complicated by Google's prior, extensive collaborations with publishers for services like Google Books.