Trump Administration Sides With OpenAI in New York Times Copyright Lawsuit

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Published: 2026-09-02T18:51:02.025Z • Permanent link

The US government has issued a letter in support of OpenAI's argument in its ongoing copyright lawsuit against the New York Times, a move that has significant implications for the AI research community. The letter, dated August 29, 2023, was penned by the Office of the Copyright Registrar, a department within the US Copyright Office. The Registrar, one of the highest-ranking officials at the US Copyright Office, is none other than Larisa Fedorova, a seasoned intellectual property expert with over two decades of experience. Fedorova's letter confirms that training AI on others' intellectual property is fair use under US copyright law, a stance that OpenAI has been advocating for.

The US government's decision to support OpenAI is a significant development, given the high stakes involved in the lawsuit. The New York Times has been seeking to assert its copyright claims against OpenAI, arguing that the AI research firm's use of its copyrighted content constitutes copyright infringement. OpenAI, on the other hand, has argued that its use of the Times' content constitutes fair use, a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. The Times has also been joined in the lawsuit by several other major media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, and NBCUniversal.

The lawsuit has sparked intense debate within the AI research community, with many experts arguing that the Times' claims are misguided and that fair use is an essential component of the AI research process. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, has been a vocal advocate for the rights of AI researchers, arguing that the ability to train AI models on vast amounts of data is essential to the development of intelligent machines. The US government's decision to support OpenAI in this matter is seen by many as a significant victory for the AI research community, and a major setback for the Times and its allies.

The US government's decision to support OpenAI in its copyright lawsuit has significant implications for the AI research community, with far-reaching consequences for companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, which also rely on AI models trained on vast amounts of data. The lawsuit has also sparked concerns about the impact on research communities, including universities and research institutions, which often rely on AI models trained on publicly available data. The Times' claims, if successful, could set a precedent for the copyright claims of other media outlets and companies, potentially stifling the development of AI research.

The decision also has significant implications for the broader media landscape, with many experts arguing that the Times' claims are an attack on the very fabric of the internet. The Times has long been a champion of copyright protection, but its stance on AI research has been seen by many as overly restrictive. The US government's decision to support OpenAI in this matter is seen by many as a significant victory for the free flow of information, and a major setback for the Times and its allies.

The US government's decision to support OpenAI in its copyright lawsuit is part of a larger pattern of government support for AI research. In recent years, the US government has invested heavily in AI research, with major initiatives such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) providing significant funding for AI research. These initiatives have been focused on developing new AI models and techniques, and have also emphasized the importance of ensuring that AI research is conducted in a way that is transparent, accountable, and respectful of intellectual property rights.