In a landmark legal action, affecting some of the most significant major publishers that include Condé Nast, McClatchy, The Atlantic, Politico, and Vox Media, a lawsuit has been lodged against AI startup Cohere. Accusing it of copyright and trademark infringement. The complaint alleges that Cohere has utilized no less than 4,000 copyrighted works to train its language model. That too without permission and has included sizeable or entire articles without using the publisher websites.
Allegations Against Cohere
The complaint alleges that Cohere not only used the content without permission but also presented fabricated material under its name, claiming intellectual property rights. Additionally, Cohere filed trademark infringement suits while portraying fabric materials under its name. Moreover, Danielle Coffey, CEO of the Now Media Alliance, called it a serious problem. Stating, “They store and use our content to produce verbatim and substitutional copies of our material. That is stealing.”
Cohere’s Response
Cohere, now valued at over $5 billion, defended its practices and dismissed the lawsuit as “misguided and frivolous.” A company spokesperson stated, “We have consistently prioritized controls to mitigate the risk of IP infringement and respect the rights of rights holders.”
Broader Context
Publishers propose greater detentions in their ongoing dispute with AI companies. Content owners argue that these intimidating and exploitative virtual practices threaten their advertising and subscription-based business models. The case’s outcome will establish important legal precedents for licensed use in AI training and applications.
If you want to read about how OpenAI Faces Legal Challenges from Indian Media Over Copyright Infringement click here.
