Is Apple Using Books Illegally to Train AI?

Industry Insights from Next Move Strategy Consulting

Technology giant Apple has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit in Northern California, accused of illegally copying copyrighted books to train its artificial intelligence systems. The case adds to a growing wave of disputes over intellectual property rights in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Expanding Legal Battle Over AI and Copyright

Filed on Friday by authors Grady Hendrix and Jennifer Roberson, the lawsuit claims Apple used protected works without consent, credit, or compensation. According to the filing, “Apple has not attempted to pay these authors for their contributions to this potentially lucrative venture.”

Apple and legal representatives for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The complaint specifically alleges that Apple trained its “OpenELM” large language models using a known body of pirated books, including works by the plaintiffs.

Broader Industry Context

The lawsuit against Apple mirrors mounting challenges faced by other technology leaders. On the same day, AI startup Anthropic disclosed a $1.5 billion settlement with authors who accused it of using their books without authorization to train its chatbot Claude. Although Anthropic did not admit liability, the payout has been described by plaintiff lawyers as the largest publicly reported copyright recovery in history.

In June, Microsoft faced a separate lawsuit from authors alleging unauthorized use of their books to train its Megatron AI model. Meta Platforms and Microsoft-backed OpenAI have also been named in similar copyright disputes.

Implications for Intellectual Property in AI

Hendrix, who lives in New York, and Roberson, from Arizona, contend their works were part of the pirated dataset allegedly used by Apple. Their claims highlight growing concerns over how creative works are sourced and utilized in the development of large language models.

With lawsuits targeting multiple technology companies, the clash between artificial intelligence innovation and copyright protection is intensifying. The outcome of these legal battles may set critical precedents for how intellectual property is safeguarded in the AI era.

Source: The Hindu 

Prepared by: Next Move Strategy Consulting