Book publishers are suing Google over its AI model, Gemini, accusing the company of copying their books without permission. They say Google made unauthorized copies of copyrighted works to train Gemini. This happened without any license or payment to the authors or publishers.
Google itself acknowledged in internal documents that it could face tens of billions in fines. The complaint says Google flagged potential penalties between $10 billion and $100 billion for using texts from publishers, especially those linked to Google Play Books.
Publishers argue this hurts both authors and the entire publishing industry. One claim highlights how Gemini could write a 100-page murder mystery in just 20 minutes. It could cost only 39 cents to produce such a book, which publishers say will damage traditional book sales. Famous works like NK Jemisin’s The Fifth Season and Lemony Snicket’s Who Could That Be at This Hour? are named as examples of books copied without permission.
The Lawsuits Against AI Companies Grow
The New York Times, Daily News, and other media outlets have also stepped into the legal fight. They accuse OpenAI of using their copyrighted content to train AI models without permission. These outlets asked a judge to punish OpenAI for hiding evidence that could show how its AI was trained on stolen journalism.
An attorney representing the media outlets said the motion asks the court to sanction OpenAI for destroying or hiding crucial training data. OpenAI is alleged to have intentionally concealed its ability to search and preserve data for two years.
The New York Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft in December 2023. The lawsuit claims copyright infringement and insists the evidence is clear in OpenAI’s training datasets and ChatGPT’s output logs. The Times and other plaintiffs say there is no question about what was copied or how often.
Industry Responses and Licensing Deals
While lawsuits play out, some media companies have chosen a different path. They signed licensing deals with AI firms like OpenAI, Google, and Meta. The Associated Press reached an agreement with OpenAI in 2023. News Corp followed with a partnership with OpenAI in 2024.
These deals show that some publishers want to work with AI companies instead of fighting in court. But others see the unauthorized copying as a serious threat. One lawsuit claims that Google “abandoned its early motto of ‘Don’t be evil’ and engaged in one of the most prolific infringements of copyrighted materials in history.”
The New York Times has spent over $28 million on litigation against AI companies. It also sued the AI company Perplexity last year. The ongoing legal battles highlight how copyright law struggles to keep up as AI changes the way content is created and used.
Much of the debate centers on whether training AI on publicly available content counts as fair use. OpenAI argues it does, but publishers and authors disagree. They say copying entire books without paying damages their ability to earn a living. This conflict shows how AI’s rise is shaking up traditional industries and raising tough questions about creativity and ownership.
Based on
- Book publishers sue Google for copyright infringement over Gemini AI training — theguardian.com
- NYT-led group asks court to sanction OpenAI in US copyright dispute | Media News | Al Jazeera — aljazeera.com
- Governments must not give AI companies a free pass on copyright | National Post — nationalpost.com
- OpenAI faces sanctions in NY Times copyright dispute — thehill.com
- In a court filing, The New York Times and other publications have accused OpenAI of withholding evidence. | The Verge — theverge.com
