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Thomson Reuters Prevails in Landmark AI Copyright Case Against Ross Intelligence

A U.S. court rules that using copyrighted data to train AI without permission does not qualify as fair use, setting a significant precedent for AI copyright disputes.

A federal judge ruled in favor of Thomson Reuters in an AI-related copyright case.
General views inside and outside of Thomson Reuters offices at 30 South Colonnade in Canary Wharf, London, Britain August 1, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE - The Library of Congress stands on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
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Overview

  • Thomson Reuters won a partial summary judgment against Ross Intelligence, with the court rejecting fair use as a defense for training AI models on copyrighted data without consent.
  • The case revolves around Ross Intelligence using data from Thomson Reuters' Westlaw legal research database to develop a competing AI-powered legal tool.
  • Judge Stephanos Bibas determined that Ross's use of Westlaw content was not transformative and harmed the market for Thomson Reuters' products, failing key fair use tests.
  • This decision marks the first major U.S. ruling against an AI company in a copyright case, potentially influencing over 30 similar lawsuits currently in progress.
  • Although the ruling does not directly address generative AI, legal experts believe it could shape future cases involving generative AI tools and copyright law.