Authors' Copyright Lawsuit Against Meta Survives Dismissal Bid in AI Training Case
A federal judge has allowed key portions of an AI copyright lawsuit against Meta to proceed while dismissing other elements. The lawsuit, filed by authors Richard Kadrey, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Sarah Silverman, alleges Meta violated copyright by using their books to train AI models without permission.
Judge in courtroom during legal proceedings
US District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled that the authors' copyright infringement claims constitute "obviously a concrete injury sufficient for standing." The judge also found that the authors "adequately alleged that Meta intentionally removed CMI [copyright management information] to conceal copyright infringement."
Internal documents revealed through discovery show Meta employees discussed using copyrighted works for AI training:
- Research engineer Xavier Martinet suggested buying retail ebooks rather than securing licensing deals
- Senior manager Melanie Kambadur proposed using "links aggregator" LibGen, a site previously fined for copyright infringement
- Documents allege CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved training on copyrighted content through "legally questionable" means while halting licensing talks with publishers
While the judge dismissed claims related to the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA), citing insufficient evidence that Meta accessed the authors' computers or servers, the core copyright infringement allegations will proceed.
The case could set important precedents for AI companies' use of copyrighted materials in training large language models, with Meta maintaining its actions qualify as fair use while authors assert their intellectual property rights.
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