News Summary

Several copyright infringement lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft have been consolidated in New York. The cases, which involve prominent authors like Ta-Nehisi Coates, Michael Chabon, and John Grisham, as well as news organizations such as The New York Times, allege that AI models used copyrighted works without consent. The US judicial panel on multidistrict litigation decided that centralizing these cases would streamline pretrial proceedings and eliminate inconsistent rulings. OpenAI and Microsoft argue that their use of copyrighted works is permitted under the ‘fair use’ doctrine. Despite opposition from most plaintiffs, the centralization is seen as a way to coordinate discovery and conserve resources.