The New York Times vs. OpenAI: Newspaper Has Spent $20 Million on Its Copyright Lawsuit

The New York Times has been in a legal battle with OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright infringement since 2023 and, according to Wired, has already spent more than $20 million on the case. The paper's publisher, A.G. Sulzberger (Arthur Gregg Sulzberger), does not intend to stop fighting.

What The New York Times is suing over

The New York Times accuses OpenAI and Microsoft of illegally using its content. According to the paper, millions of its articles were used to train language models, including ChatGPT, without permission or payment. The lawsuit was filed in 2023 and became one of the highest-profile clashes between a traditional media company and the generative AI industry. The core of the complaint is simple: the paper spent years investing in reporting, and AI companies, in its view, turned that work into fuel for commercial products for free.

Key facts of the case:

• The lawsuit was filed in 2023 against OpenAI and Microsoft
• The legal basis is copyright infringement
• The paper's costs for the case exceed $20 million
• According to the plaintiff, NYT content was used to train AI without consent
• Publisher A.G. Sulzberger publicly refuses to back down

How much this fight costs

The New York Times has spent more than $20 million on the lawsuit in the less than three years since it was filed in 2023. It is a rare case of a media company willing to put eight-figure sums into a legal precedent rather than look for a quick licensing deal. For the paper, the issue is one of principle: the dispute is about whether commercial AI models can be trained on copyrighted content without the rights holder's permission. The size of the spend shows that for NYT this is not a one-off legal formality but a long strategic war the publication is prepared to fight for years.

Turning down a quick deal sets The New York Times apart from part of the industry. Instead of a one-time payment, the paper is betting on a court precedent that would establish publishers' right to demand payment for the use of their archives. At a cost of more than $20 million, NYT is effectively funding a dispute whose outcome other media companies will benefit from too.

What is at stake for the media

The outcome of the case will set the rules of the game for the entire media industry in the era of generative AI. If the court sides with The New York Times, model developers will have to license content and pay publishers for the texts they use. If OpenAI and Microsoft win, training on openly published material will remain practically free. This precedent will help determine whether journalism keeps its economic value in a world where AI can summarize and rewrite news in seconds.

According to A.G.

Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, the paper has no plans to end its legal fight. He said so on Wired's podcast "The Big Interview."

What this means

The New York Times' conflict with OpenAI is not just a dispute between two companies. It is a test of who will control the value of journalism in the AI era. The parties have not reached an agreement, and NYT is ready to keep litigating despite the multimillion-dollar costs.

Frequently asked questions

Why did The New York Times sue OpenAI?

The New York Times argues that OpenAI and Microsoft used its articles to train language models without permission or payment, which it says violates copyright. The lawsuit was filed in 2023.

How much has

The New York Times spent on the lawsuit against OpenAI?

According to Wired, the paper has spent more than $20 million on the case, and publisher A.G. Sulzberger does not intend to stop.