The suit echoes The New York Times 2023 case and notes Microsoft and OpenAI funded Seattle Times projects.

The Seattle Times and Newsday filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement over the use of their journalism to train AI systems. The complaint says generative AI could destroy the news organizations that produce the content it consumes.

The lawsuit comes after The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in 2023 for similar allegations, and other news organizations have since filed their own actions. Microsoft and OpenAI previously funded journalism projects and fellowships at The Seattle Times.

For AI builders and operators, the lawsuit underscores the legal risk of training on copyrighted news content. The complaint argues that AI products consume original journalism and return derivative imitations. The argument directly challenges the practice of training AI on published content.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company is surprised by the lawsuit and happy to sit down and explore solutions. The New York Times case from 2023 continues, and the new lawsuit from The Seattle Times and Newsday adds another test for AI training on copyrighted journalism.

What matters

• The Seattle Times and Newsday filed a joint lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright infringement.
• The suit adds pressure on AI firms to secure licenses for copyrighted training data.
• The New York Times lawsuit from 2023 continues and will shape fair use law for AI training.

Why it matters

The New York Times lawsuit from 2023 continues and will shape fair use law for AI training.

This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by TechCrunch AI. Source reference: https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/05/seattle-times-and-newsday-are-the-latest-publications-to-sue-openai-and-microsoft/.

Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.