Indian Media Giants Join Legal Fight Against OpenAI Over Copyright Violations

Prominent Indian media outlets, including Gautam Adani’s NDTV, Mukesh Ambani’s Network18, the Indian Express, and the Hindustan Times, have joined a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it of improperly using copyrighted content to train its AI models. Filed in a New Delhi court, the case highlights concerns over “willful scraping” and reproduction of their news content by OpenAI’s tools like ChatGPT. The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), representing 20 leading media companies, has also supported the lawsuit, citing fears of tech firms exploiting their work without compensation.

The legal filing argues OpenAI’s actions threaten the “valuable copyrights” of Indian publishers and alleges discriminatory practices, as OpenAI has secured licensing agreements with international outlets but none in India. ANI, which initially filed the lawsuit last year, is at the forefront of these legal proceedings, with a hearing scheduled soon. OpenAI has denied wrongdoing, asserting its use of publicly available data adheres to fair use, and claims Indian courts lack jurisdiction due to its servers being based abroad.

Globally, OpenAI faces similar challenges, with lawsuits from the New York Times and other publishers accusing it of unauthorized data usage. Indian publishers argue such practices undermine the press’s vitality, warning of a “weakened democracy.” As generative AI reshapes industries, Indian media companies are pushing for accountability to safeguard their creative and financial interests.

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