OpenAI sued by Merriam-Webster for copyright infringement

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Quartz Staff

Tue, March 17, 2026 astatine 8:03 AM CDT 1 min read

Encyclopedia Britannica and its subsidiary Merriam-Webster person filed suit against OpenAI, alleging that the ChatGPT shaper copied their copyrighted contented without authorization to bid its ample connection models,

The lawsuit, filed successful Manhattan national tribunal past week, alleges that OpenAI utilized adjacent to 100,000 Britannica articles to bid its models, and that ChatGPT responses often reproduce oregon intimately paraphrase Britannica's notation content, including encyclopedia articles and dictionary entries. The ailment besides alleges OpenAI uses a retrieval-augmented procreation strategy to propulsion from Britannica's contented successful existent clip erstwhile generating responses.

The plaintiffs reason that ChatGPT substitutes for visits to their websites, depriving them of the subscription and advertizing gross that funds their contented creation. The trademark claims halfway connected 2 alleged harms: ChatGPT presenting invented contented nether Britannica's name, and displaying incomplete reproductions of Britannica worldly successful ways that suggest the company's endorsement.

The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages successful an magnitude to beryllium determined, on with injunctive alleviation to halt the alleged violations, according to Reuters.

OpenAI disputed the claims. "Our models empower innovation, and are trained connected publically disposable information and grounded successful just use," a institution spokesperson said, according to Reuters.

A abstracted Britannica lawsuit against AI hunt institution Perplexity AI, filed past year, is besides moving done the courts. The Britannica and Merriam-Webster suit is among a increasing fig of copyright suits brought by publishers, authors, and quality organizations against AI companies implicit the usage of their worldly successful exemplary training.

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