Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft

The Seattle Times and Newsday have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft over the alleged use of their journalism to train AI systems, according to TechCrunch. The complaint places two more publishers alongside earlier claimants, including The New York Times, in a widening copyright dispute over training data and AI-generated outputs.

TechCrunch reports that the lawsuit argues generative AI could damage the news business by relying on publishers’ work while competing with it. The article also notes an awkward detail: Microsoft and OpenAI have funded some Seattle Times journalism projects and fellowships, which gives the dispute an extra layer of small-room tension.

What changes

In practical terms, the case increases the legal and commercial pressure on OpenAI and Microsoft as they continue to defend how AI systems are trained and what they reproduce. It also signals that the litigation is no longer confined to a single marquee newspaper or a narrow group of rights holders.

The limits are plain enough. TechCrunch summarises the filing, not the defendants’ full legal response, and the article does not show the complaint itself. Microsoft, via a spokesperson quoted by GeekWire and relayed by TechCrunch, said it was surprised by the lawsuit and open to exploring solutions. The suit’s merits, any evidence testing, and any settlement or ruling remain to be seen.