Judge Rules Meta Must Face Authors' AI Copyright Lawsuit Despite Partial Dismissal
A federal judge has allowed authors' AI copyright lawsuit against Meta to proceed while dismissing portions of the original complaint. The lawsuit, filed by authors Richard Kadrey, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Sarah Silverman, alleges Meta violated copyright laws by training its AI models using their books without permission.
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US District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled that the authors' copyright infringement claims constitute "obviously a concrete injury sufficient for standing." The judge also found that the authors adequately demonstrated Meta may have intentionally removed copyright management information (CMI) to conceal potential infringement.
While the judge dismissed claims related to the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA), internal documents revealed concerning discussions among Meta employees:
- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg allegedly approved training AI models on copyrighted content obtained through "legally questionable" means
- Research engineer Xavier Martinet suggested buying retail ebooks rather than securing proper licensing
- Senior manager Melanie Kambadur proposed using LibGen, a site previously fined for copyright infringement, to access copyrighted works
The case discovery showed Meta halted AI training data licensing discussions with publishers while proceeding to use copyrighted materials. This development represents a significant step forward for authors seeking to protect their intellectual property rights in the age of AI training.
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Judge orders Silverman-Meta lawsuit mediation
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