Market & Regulation
Trump Administration Backs OpenAI in NYT Copyright Case
The Verge AIhigh confidence
Why it matters
- →The case could redefine fair use in the context of AI training on copyrighted material.
- →A ruling in favor of OpenAI might encourage more AI labs to use copyrighted content without licensing.
- →The outcome could influence future legal battles between media companies and AI developers.
The Trump administration has intervened in a copyright lawsuit filed by The New York Times against OpenAI, arguing in favor of the AI lab. The administration claims that training AI models on copyrighted material should be considered fair use, which is crucial for American prosperity and scientific advancement. The lawsuit, filed in December 2023, seeks billions in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft for allegedly using NYT articles without permission. This case could set a precedent for future interactions between AI labs and media outlets over copyrighted content.
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TopicAnthropic Pentagon Legal Dispute
Earlier coverage that leads up to this article, and what followed. Lines connect each piece to the closest one after it, converging here.
How we got here
- 1U.S. Government Considers Stake in OpenAI
The Rundown AI · June 8, 2026 · Related
- 2OpenAI delays GPT-5.6 after government request
The Verge AI · June 25, 2026 · Background
- 3White House Limits OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Release
The Rundown AI · June 26, 2026 · Background
- 4OpenAI's Equity Stake Proposal for Americans
MIT Technology Review AI · July 6, 2026 · Related
- 5OpenAI Accused of Hiding Evidence in Copyright Case
TechCrunch AI · July 9, 2026 · Related
- 6White House Considers Action on Chinese Open-Source AI
The AI Daily Brief · July 14, 2026 · Background
- 7OpenAI Faces Lawsuit from Apple
Fireship · July 17, 2026 · Related
- 8White House to Expand AI Policy Framework
WIRED AI · August 12, 2026 · Background
What happened next
- 9OpenAI and GSA Offer AI Discounts to Governments
OpenAI · September 10, 2026 · Background
- 10NYT v OpenAI filings reveal internal AI scraping admissions
TechCrunch AI · September 17, 2026 · Related
- 11DOJ vs. Judge Chhabria on AI Copyright Fair Use
Music Tech Policy · September 21, 2026 · Background
- 12Trump's Voluntary AI Accord and OpenAI Agent Launch
WIRED AI · October 1, 2026 · Related
- 13USA Today sues OpenAI for $250M over copyright
The Verge AI · October 8, 2026 · Related
Follow this story
Open the full story →Trump Administration Backs OpenAI in NYT Copyright Case
7 developments
- Sep 2 · The Verge AI
Trump Administration Backs OpenAI in NYT Copyright Case (This article) - Sep 2 · TechCrunch AI
US Government Supports OpenAI in Copyright Lawsuit - Sep 2 · WIRED AI
Trump Administration Backs OpenAI in Copyright Case - Sep 3 · Music Tech Policy
DOJ Seeks AI Training Safe Harbor via Fair Use↳ DOJ seeks fair use safe harbor for AI training, arguing it is exceedingly transformative to bypass congressional authority. - Sep 4 · The Verge AI
Microsoft Defends AI Use in Copyright Lawsuit↳ Microsoft claims less than 1% of 8 million chat logs had significant text overlap with copyrighted content. - Sep 5 · TechCrunch AI
Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI, Microsoft↳ Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over unauthorized use of journalistic content in AI training. - Sep 6 · The Verge AI
Seattle Times, Newsday sue OpenAI, Microsoft for infringement
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