GoKawiilUS Justice Department backs OpenAI's fair-use defense in publisher copyright suits
The Trump administration filed a statement of interest in New York federal court supporting OpenAI's argument that training AI models on copyrighted news content qualifies as fair use. The filing addresses lawsuits brought by The New York Times and Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, which accuse OpenAI of infringing their copyrighted material to build ChatGPT.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This marks a notable instance of the federal government intervening on the side of an AI company rather than content creators in ongoing copyright litigation that could set precedent for the entire industry. The administration's stated rationale—protecting US competitiveness against foreign AI developers—signals a policy stance that could shape future rulings and legislation on how AI companies source training data.
- The DOJ argues that ruling against OpenAI could hamper US AI development and cede advantage to foreign rivals.
- The New York Times and Ziff Davis are among publishers suing OpenAI over alleged unauthorized use of their content for AI training.
- The Times' spokesperson criticized the administration for favoring large AI firms over creators seeking fair compensation.
Source: cnet.com — Jon Reed, 2026-09-02
Published there as: “Trump Administration Sides With OpenAI in Publishers’ Copyright Lawsuits”
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