Courtroom Drama: Authors Take AI Startup to Task Over Copyright Infringement
A California judge has allowed three authors to lead a class action lawsuit against AI startup Anthropic, accusing it of using their and other writers' books from pirate libraries for AI training without consent. The case may result in Anthropic facing billions in damages.
In a significant legal development, a California federal judge ruled that three authors could spearhead a nationwide class action against artificial intelligence firm Anthropic. The authors allege their copyrighted works, along with those of countless others, were illegally used by Anthropic for AI training purposes.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup's decision allows authors whose books were allegedly downloaded from pirate sites like LibGen and PiLiMi to unite against the Amazon and Alphabet-backed startup. The case, which underscores a high-stakes battle against other major tech entities like OpenAI and Microsoft, could potentially lead to damages amounting to billions of dollars.
Despite Anthropic's claim of fair use in employing these works for AI development, Judge Alsup emphasized that the company infringed upon copyright laws by storing these works as a part of an extensive digital library. Both Anthropic and the authors' legal representatives have declined immediate comment on the recent decision.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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