Cate Blanchett-Backed Group of Stars Files Brief in NYT-OpenAI Lawsuit

Key Points:

• The Human Consent Foundation, supported by Cate Blanchett and numerous Hollywood companies, filed a 31-page amicus brief in the New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, challenging the tech companies' claim that clearing rights for AI training data is impractical.
• The brief argues that the creative industries already have effective, scalable systems for licensing creative works and that AI training should respect existing rights and consent frameworks, emphasizing the importance of protecting creators' choices.
• The filing features endorsements from many prominent actors and creators, including Anne Hathaway, Emma Thompson, and Madonna, who stress that consent and permission have long been foundational principles in the creative industries.
• OpenAI maintains that its data scraping is protected under the "fair use" doctrine, a position supported by various experts and the U.S. government, while industry unions such as SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild oppose this view, warning it undermines negotiated rights.
• The New York Times’ lawsuit, filed in December 2023, accuses OpenAI and Microsoft of copyright infringement for scraping news articles without permission, with the publisher recently seeking summary judgment in the case.