California Newspapers Partnership v. Microsoft Corporation
Summary
A coalition of nine major U.S. newspapers—including the Los Angeles Daily News, San Diego Union-Tribune, and Hartford Courant—sued Microsoft and OpenAI, alleging the companies used their copyrighted news articles without permission to train AI language models. The plaintiffs claim their published work was scraped and used to build commercial AI products that compete with legitimate news distribution.
Summary generated by AI from public docket data. Verify against the original filing before relying on it.
Coverage vs reality meter
Coverage events: 9P · 0D · 13N (51 articles)
Press coverage leans plaintiff-favorable; no court ruling has been classified yet.
Coverage breakdown — the articles behind the meter
31 plaintiff-favorable · 0 defendant-favorable · 20 neutral articles
The meter counts distinct coverage events, not articles: 9 plaintiff · 0 defendant · 13 neutral events — a burst of same-stance coverage counts once, however many outlets ran it.
- New docs in AI copyright suit reveal startling admission by Microsoft exec over ‘astonishing theft’Orange County Register · 2026-09-17
- New docs in A.I. copyright suit reveal startling admission by Microsoft exec over 'astonishing theft'New York Daily News · 2026-09-17
- Seattle Times Sues OpenAI, Microsoft, Asks Court to Destroy AI ModelsLaw Commentary · 2026-09-10
- Local newspapers sue OpenAI and Microsoft over use of paywalled articlesMashable · 2026-09-09
None classified yet.
Coverage sentiment vs. docket activity over time
Counsel of record
- Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck PCSteven M Lieberman
- Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck, P.C.Jennifer Maisel
- Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C.Bryan Berkeley Thompson
- Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLPEmily Lu Wang, Nathaniel H Brown
- Court
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- Docket no.
- 1:25-cv-09904
- Nature of suit
- Copyright
- Judge
- Sidney H. Stein
- Filed
- 2025-11-26
- Last filing
- 2026-10-07
Cause
17:501 Copyright Infringement
Entities in this case
Parties
Virginian-Pilot Media Companies, LLC (plaintiff) Hartford Courant Company, LLC (plaintiff) The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC (plaintiff) Los Angeles Daily News Publishing Company (plaintiff) The Morning Call, LLC (plaintiff) The Daily Press LLC (plaintiff) MNG-BH Acquisition LLC (plaintiff) Prairie Mountain Publishing Company LLP (plaintiff) California Newspapers Partnership (plaintiff) Microsoft Corporation (defendant) OpenAI Foundation (defendant) OpenAI Group PBC (defendant) OpenAI Holdings, LLC (defendant) OAI Corporation, LLC (defendant) OpenAI Global, LLC (defendant) OpenAI OpCo, LLC (defendant) OpenAI, LLC (defendant) OpenAI GP, LLC (defendant) OpenAI LP (defendant) OpenAI, Inc. (defendant)
Docket entries
- 2026-05-29
No description on file
- 2026-05-26
No description on file
- 2026-05-13
No description on file
- 2026-04-06
No description on file
- 2026-03-06
No description on file
- 2026-03-03
No description on file
- 2026-02-06
Set/Reset Deadlines: Motions due by 2/16/2026. Associated Cases: 1:25-md-03143-SHS-OTW et al.(jjc)
- 2026-02-04
No description on file
- 2026-02-02
No description on file
- 2026-02-02
>>>NOTICE REGARDING PRO HAC VICE MOTION. Regarding Document No. (378 in 1:25-cv-04315-SHS-OTW, 337 in 1:24-cv-00084-SHS-OTW, 406 in 1:24-cv-01515-SHS-OTW, 982 in 1:23-cv-08292-SHS-OTW, 1222 in 1:25-md-03143-SHS-OTW, 761 in 1:25-cv-03482-SHS-OTW, 369 in 1:24-cv-01514-SHS-OTW, 65 in 1:25-cv-09912-SHS, 312 in 1:25-cv-03297-SHS-OTW, 249 in 1:25-cv-03483-SHS-OTW, 518 in 1:24-cv-04872-SHS-OTW, 95 in 1:25-cv-06286-SHS-OTW, 204 in 1:25-cv-03291-SHS-OTW, 621 in 1:24-cv-03285-SHS-OTW, 1194 in 1:23-cv-11195-SHS-OTW, 653 in 1:23-cv-10211-SHS-OTW, 71 in 1:25-cv-09904-SHS) MOTION for Nathaniel H. Brown to Appear Pro Hac Vice . Filing fee $ 200.00, receipt number NYSDC-32351068. Motion and supporting papers to be reviewed by Clerk's Office staff.. The document has been reviewed and there are no deficiencies. Filed In Associated Cases: 1:25-md-03143-SHS-OTW et al.(rju)
- 2026-01-26
No description on file
- 2026-01-23
No description on file
- 2026-01-20
No description on file
- 2026-01-20
No description on file
- 2025-12-02
Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang is designated to handle matters that may be referred in this case. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 636(c) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 73(b)(1) parties are notified that they may consent to proceed before a United States Magistrate Judge. Parties who wish to consent may access the necessary form at the following link: https://nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2018-06/AO-3.pdf. (tro)
- 2025-12-02
No description on file
- 2025-12-01
No description on file
- 2025-12-01
No description on file
- 2025-12-01
No description on file
- 2025-12-01
No description on file
Docket history from CourtListener/RECAP — most recent first.