Author of Game of Thrones George RR Martin, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the use of his AI model ChatGPT for copyright violation.
George RR Martin and 17 others sue ChatGPT
A group of 17 prominent authors, including renowned author George RR Martin, has initiated a proposed class action lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it of copyright infringement through its AI model ChatGPT. The Authors Guild, based in New York, has filed the lawsuit, alleging “serious and damaging breaches of registered copyright” by ChatGPT.
The complaint reveals that ChatGPT incorporated text from copyrighted books obtained through a pirated e-book repository without proper authorization during its development. The argument put forth by the plaintiffs is that OpenAI had alternative options instead of resorting to “massive-scale theft,” such as training its language model on public domain texts or obtaining licenses for copyrighted works.
Maya Shanbag Lang, the President of the Authors Guild, who is part of the plaintiff’s side, emphasized the significance of this legal action. She stated, “This case is just the beginning of our fight to protect authors from theft by OpenAI and other generator AI. Our staff, which includes a strong legal team, has expertise in copyright law. Make no mistake: we’re not taking this suit lightly. We’re here to fight.”
In response to the lawsuit, OpenAI has expressed its willingness to engage in constructive dialogue. A spokesperson for the company said, “We are engaging in meaningful conversations with authors, including the Authors Guild, to understand and address their concerns about AI. We are optimistic about finding mutually beneficial ways to collaborate moving forward.”
This legal action comes after two similar complaints were filed against OpenAI by comedian Sarah Silverman and author Paul Tremblay, further highlighting how these legal battles may impact the use of AI language models in the creative industry.