Thomson Reuters wins landmark copyright case against ROSS Intelligence
- A federal judge ruled that ROSS Intelligence infringed on Thomson Reuters' copyrights regarding Westlaw headnotes.
- The judge rejected ROSS's fair use defense, finding that their actions affect the market for competitive legal research tools.
- This ruling is a significant moment in ongoing copyright battles related to AI development.
In the United States, a federal judge ruled in favor of Thomson Reuters against ROSS Intelligence in a copyright infringement case initiated in 2020. The court determined that ROSS had used Thomson Reuters' Westlaw content to train its AI legal research platform without permission. The ruling specifically addressed ROSS's use of 2,243 Westlaw headnotes, which were deemed to meet the originality threshold required for copyright protection. Despite ROSS's claims of fair use, the court highlighted that the purpose of ROSS's use was to produce a competing product, thus valuing the market impact. The case remains ongoing, with several unresolved issues left for trial, including aspects of contributory liability and possible expired copyrights. Judgement was made by Judge Stephanos Bibas, illustrating a growing trend in litigation surrounding AI technologies and copyright rights, which may set precedents for future cases involving similar allegations. ROSS, which halted operations in 2021, was significantly affected financially by the legal proceedings, showcasing the potential repercussions for businesses that may inadvertently infringe upon copyrights during tech development. This case emphasizes the importance of clear licensing agreements and the potential challenges faced by AI firms in navigating copyright laws.