①On September 3, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened in the copyright dispute between OpenAI and The New York Times, supporting OpenAI’s claim that “using public news content to train AI is a fair use”; ②The Department of Justice stated that the creativity and public benefit of such training outweigh any competitive harm; ③The New York Times criticized the Department of Justice’s stance, stating that this action sacrifices the interests of creators and arguing that AI companies should pay for the use of content under copyright law.
On September 3, the U.S. Department of Justice publicly supported OpenAI’s claim that training AI is fair use, marking a critical new stage in the case.
On September 3, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice officially intervened in the copyright lawsuit between The New York Times, OpenAI, and Microsoft. The Department of Justice stated that using public news content to train AI is considered “fair use”, arguing that the creativity and public benefit of such training far outweigh any potential harm to creators. It also pointed out that AI models are useful for national security analysis. In response, The New York Times strongly criticized this stance, stating that it sacrificed the interests of creators and argued that AI companies should be required to pay for content usage in accordance with copyright law. Currently, the case has entered a critical stage, and Judge Sidney Stein is expected to make a decision within a few months regarding whether to transfer part of the case to next year’s trial.
MicrosoftNew York TimesOpenAISidney SteinU.S. Department of Justice《New York Times》
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On September 3, the U.S. Department of Justice publicly supported OpenAI’s claim that training AI is fair use, marking a critical new stage in the case.
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2026-09-03
The U.S. Department of Justice publicly sided with OpenAI for the first time.
The U.S. Department of Justice submitted documents to the Manhattan federal court, publicly expressing its position on the issue of AI companies using copyrighted materials. Supporting OpenAI’s development of artificial intelligence systems does not violate copyright laws.
2026-09-04
The Department of Justice intervened to support OpenAI’s claims.
The U.S. Department of Justice became involved in the copyright dispute between OpenAI and The New York Times, supporting OpenAI’s claim that using public news content to train AI is fair use. The Department of Justice stated that the creativity and public benefit of such training outweigh any competitive harm.
2026-09-08
The copyright lawsuit enters a critical new stage.
The New York Times submitted its official opinion to the judge, marking a critical new stage in the case. OpenAI cited precedents from federal courts in California, arguing that using copyrighted works to train AI is fair use. The judge is expected to make a decision within a few months regarding whether to proceed to next year’s trial.
On September 3, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened in the copyright dispute between OpenAI and The New York Times, supporting OpenAI’s claim that “using public news content to train AI is fair use.” The Department stated that the creativity and public benefit of such training outweigh any competitive harm, and that AI models help national security officials analyze unprotected facts. The New York Times criticized the Department’s position, stating that this move sacrifices the interests of creators and arguing that AI companies should pay for content use in accordance with copyright law.