Major publishers, including Elsevier, Cengage, Hachette, Macmillan, and McGraw Hill, filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms in Manhattan federal court.
The lawsuit claims that Meta exploited their works without authorization to train its AI model Llama. The plaintiffs allege that Meta pirated millions of their works, including textbooks and scientific articles.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and permission to represent a larger group of rights holders. This legal action opens a new front in the ongoing battle between creators and tech companies over AI training.
As of early Tuesday, Meta’s spokesperson stated, “The AI fuels transformative innovations, productivity, and creativity for individuals and businesses.” However, Maria Pallante, representing the plaintiffs, countered that “the large-scale infringement committed by Meta does not constitute public progress.”
Separately, Charles Alloncle faces accusations from AC !! Anti-Corruption for ‘illegal taking of interests’ and ‘influence peddling.’ A complaint has been sent to financial prosecutor Pascal Prache regarding these allegations.
The illegal taking of interests charge could lead to a five-year prison sentence and a €500,000 fine. The complaint alleges that Alloncle used pre-drafted questions from Lagardère News during parliamentary hearings.
Jérôme Karsenti expressed urgency about the complaint against Alloncle, stating there is a feeling of absolute impunity regarding his actions. In contrast, Alloncle defended himself by calling the accusations ridiculous and aimed at discrediting his work.
This sequence of events highlights critical issues surrounding intellectual property rights in the realm of artificial intelligence. The outcome may significantly impact how tech companies utilize copyrighted materials in their AI training processes.