Delhi High Court has issued summons to OpenAI in response to a lawsuit filed by Asian News International (ANI).
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued summons to OpenAI in response to a lawsuit filed by Asian News International (ANI), alleging unauthorized use of its content for training and operating ChatGPT. Justice Amit Bansal noted OpenAI’s statement that it had blocked ANI’s official website to prevent its content from being utilized by the chatbot.
Highlighting the broader implications related to copyright and artificial intelligence, the court announced its intention to appoint an amicus curiae to assist in the case. Notices were also issued regarding ANI’s application seeking interim relief against ChatGPT.
ALSO READ: Delhi court declines to proceed against Amanatullah Khan in money laundering case
ANI, represented by Advocate Sidhant Kumar, claimed that its copyrighted material was being exploited for training ChatGPT. Kumar argued that publicly accessible content does not give OpenAI the right to reproduce or store it. Additionally, ANI accused ChatGPT of disseminating false information attributed to the news agency, potentially damaging its reputation and spreading misinformation.
An example presented was ChatGPT claiming that Rahul Gandhi had given an interview to ANI, which had never occurred. While OpenAI offered to block ANI’s website, Kumar pointed out the challenge for a news wire service whose content is often reproduced on third-party platforms.
Senior Advocate Amit Sibal, representing OpenAI, contended that no copyright infringement had been established under Indian law. He emphasized that copyright laws protect expressions, not facts or ideas. Sibal further clarified that ChatGPT does not store or reproduce ANI’s material directly but learns from aggregated data.
ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi congratulates Kamala Harris on historic campaign
He highlighted the absence of similar rulings against OpenAI in other jurisdictions despite multiple lawsuits, including 13 in the U.S., two in Canada, and one in Germany. Sibal also questioned the maintainability of ANI’s suit in India, as no instance of reproduction had been proven within the country.
This case marks the first instance of an Indian media outlet suing OpenAI for alleged copyright violations. Globally, companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google have faced similar lawsuits over their AI systems’ use of publicly available data.
Justice Bansal noted the complexity of the issues, particularly concerning false information generated by AI. The court has deferred decisions on ANI’s broader concerns to a later stage, while focusing on the immediate allegations of misuse and misinformation.