Copyright case · United States (federal)
Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over AI use of their journalism
The Seattle Times Company and Newsday LLC v. OpenAI and Microsoft
The Seattle Times Company and Newsday LLC sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging unauthorized copying of their journalism to train and operate generative-AI systems and reproduction of protected reporting in AI outputs. The newly filed complaint seeks damages and court-ordered relief, including destruction or impoundment of copies, datasets or models incorporating their works. The court has not determined liability.
- Filed
- Filed
Updated
Parties and court
- Plaintiffs
- The Seattle Times Company, Newsday LLC
- Defendants
- OpenAI, Microsoft
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- Jurisdiction
- United States (federal)
What’s at stake
- Copyright claims over alleged scraping and use of journalism, including paywalled articles, in AI systems.
- Allegations that AI outputs reproduce reporting and may substitute for visits to publishers’ sites.
- Trademark-related claims that AI-generated material was falsely associated with the publishers’ brands.
- Damages for alleged unauthorized use of the publishers’ work.
- Requested destruction or impoundment of copies of the works and datasets or models incorporating them.
Timeline
The Seattle Times Company and Newsday LLC filed a complaint against OpenAI and Microsoft alleging copyright infringement and trademark-related violations involving generative-AI systems.
Our reporting
Seattle Times and Newsday Sue OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Copyright Infringement →The Signal · September 7, 2026