In a newly filed class-action lawsuit, authors Grady Hendrix and Jennifer Roberson are accusing Apple of using their copyrighted books without permission to train its artificial intelligence system, OpenELM, raising fresh legal and ethical questions in the ongoing debate over AI and intellectual property
Key Allegations
- The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Northern California, contends that Apple incorporated protected literary works into its AI training datasets without credit or compensation to the authors
- Hendrix (based in New York) and Roberson (from Arizona) allege their works were part of a pirated book collection used to train Apple’s AI models
- The complaint claims Apple has not made any attempt to pay the authors for their work, despite the potentially lucrative applications of the AI system
Context: Part of a Broader Trend
- This case follows a growing trend of authors suing major tech firms for allegedly using copyrighted content in AI training without permission
- Notably, Anthropic recently agreed to a staggering $1.5 billion settlement in a lawsuit over similar claims related to its Claude AI chatbot
- Likewise, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta Platforms have all faced lawsuits over alleged misuse of authors’ works in training AI systems Reuters
Significance
- The lawsuit underscores the growing legal pressure on AI developers to secure proper rights for copyrighted material used in training large language models.
- If successful, the case against Apple could set a precedent requiring tech companies to obtain proper permission and offer compensation for the use of literary content in AI development.
Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Plaintiffs | Grady Hendrix and Jennifer Roberson |
| Defendant | Apple Inc.; AI trained: OpenELM large language models |
| Claim | Use of copyrighted books without permission, credit, or compensation |
| Legal Venue | Federal court, Northern California |
| Broader Trend | Part of wider legal backlash against AI firms for using copyrighted text without authorization |
Conclusion
This lawsuit marks a crucial chapter in the clash between creative rights and technological innovation. As Apple becomes the latest tech giant targeted for allegedly using authors’ works without authorization, the outcome could reshape how AI companies source, credit, and pay for training data.
