New York Times Spends $20 Million Fighting OpenAI, Microsoft in 2.5-Year Copyright Suit
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jul 28
New York Times Spends $20 Million Fighting OpenAI, Microsoft in 2.5-Year Copyright Suit
2 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jul 28
Summary
$20 million-plus has already gone into The New York Times' copyright case against OpenAI and Microsoft, publisher A.G. Sulzberger said, even though the lawsuit is still stuck in discovery after 2.5 years.
Sulzberger said the paper sued because AI companies used Times journalism to train models without permission or payment, calling the case a defense of creators' rights rather than an attack on technology.
13 million subscribers have helped the Times afford the fight, but Sulzberger said smaller publishers cannot realistically spend what could become $40 million to challenge major AI firms.
Google's AI Overviews have already cut referral traffic that publishers long relied on, he said, reinforcing his warning that AI intermediaries could weaken journalism's business model unless compensation rules change.
80% of local journalism jobs have disappeared over two decades, Sulzberger said, arguing the lawsuit is part of a broader effort to preserve a sustainable news ecosystem and press freedom.