OpenAI, the company behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, is facing a new legal challenge in India. A group of major Indian and international book publishers has filed a lawsuit, accusing the tech giant of using their copyrighted content without permission. The lawsuit, led by the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP), includes big names such as Bloomsbury, Penguin Random House, Cambridge University Press, and Indian publishers like Rupa Publications and S. Chand and Co. The publishers claim that OpenAI trained its chatbot using their literary works without obtaining proper licenses, which they argue could harm book sales and impact the publishing industry. The case will be heard in a New Delhi court on January 28.
Publishers Demand Action
The lawsuit claims that OpenAI has violated copyright laws by using books to train ChatGPT without consent. According to the publishers, the AI-generated content, such as book summaries and extracts, is often sourced from unauthorised copies available online. They argue that this practice threatens their business and discourages creativity among authors. The Federation of Indian Publishers is demanding that OpenAI stop using their copyrighted content and either license it properly or delete the data used in AI training.
Concerns Over AI’s Impact on Creativity
Pranav Gupta, General Secretary of the Federation of Indian Publishers, stated that publishers are concerned about the potential long-term impact on the publishing industry. He emphasised that unless OpenAI complies with copyright regulations, it could significantly affect the livelihoods of authors and publishers. Global publishers are also stepping up their efforts to protect their content. Penguin Random House, for instance, has introduced a copyright disclaimer in its books to prevent AI models from using their content without authorisation.