Indian book publishers have taken legal action against OpenAI in the Delhi High Court, alleging that the company has used proprietary literary content without authorization to train its AI chatbot, ChatGPT. The lawsuit, led by the Federation of Indian Publishers, reflects mounting global concerns over the misuse of copyrighted material by AI technology firms.
The Federation of Indian Publishers, representing leading houses like Bloomsbury, Penguin Random House, Cambridge University Press, Pan Macmillan, Rupa Publications, and S. Chand and Co., filed the lawsuit in December. Their complaint accuses OpenAI of utilizing summaries and extracts from copyrighted books without permission, thereby undermining the creative ecosystem and potentially affecting book sales.
Central to the publishers’ concerns is ChatGPT’s ability to produce detailed summaries of literary works, which they argue could discourage readers from purchasing books. Pranav Gupta, General Secretary of the Federation, stated that these AI-generated summaries present a direct threat to the publishing industry’s revenue and creativity. The lawsuit demands that OpenAI delete copyrighted content from its datasets and establish a compensation framework for affected publishers.
The case follows similar allegations globally, with OpenAI defending its use of "publicly available data" under fair use provisions. However, the company has not yet commented on the Indian lawsuit. OpenAI has previously argued that Indian courts lack jurisdiction over its operations since its servers are based overseas. Furthermore, OpenAI claims compliance with a potential deletion order in India could conflict with its obligations under U.S. law.
Legal experts believe the outcomes of such lawsuits could have far-reaching implications. Siddharth Chandrashekhar, a Mumbai-based lawyer, remarked, “These cases will likely set critical precedents for balancing intellectual property rights with technological advancement in India.”
In response to concerns over copyright misuse, Penguin Random House recently launched a global initiative to include explicit copyright disclaimers in its books, prohibiting their use for training AI models. This move highlights the growing anxiety within the publishing industry about AI’s impact on revenue streams and intellectual property rights.
ChatGPT’s ability to provide chapter-by-chapter summaries, such as for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, has been cited as a key example of how AI tools could potentially replace traditional readership while steering clear of directly reproducing original text.
The Federation’s lawsuit adds to a related case filed by ANI, an Indian news agency, which also accuses OpenAI of copyright infringement. These lawsuits are being closely watched, as the Delhi High Court is set to hear the case on 28 January. The verdict could influence how AI technologies are regulated and intellectual property laws are enforced in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets.
As part of its strategy in India, OpenAI made its first local hire last year, appointing Pragya Misra, a former WhatsApp executive, to oversee public policy and partnerships.
The publishing industry has voiced collective concern over AI’s potential to disrupt traditional revenue models. Publishers argue that unless stringent regulations and fair-use frameworks are established, the broader creative ecosystem could suffer.
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