Meta Halts Book Licensing for AI Training Amid Copyright Lawsuit

Meta Platforms has paused its negotiations with book publishers for licensing agreements related to training data for its generative AI models, as revealed by recent court filings in the case Kadrey v. Meta Platforms. The lawsuit alleges that Meta has not respected the copyright ownership of authors, sparking controversy over the use of copyrighted material for AI training. Internal transcripts indicate that Meta faced challenges in engaging publishers, as outreach efforts resulted in slow responses and logistical difficulties, particularly in the fiction sector where rights ownership was often misrepresented. Sy Choudhury, head of Meta's AI partnerships, noted that many publishers lacked the rights to the content they were discussing for licensing. This case is part of a broader legal landscape where AI companies are often at odds with intellectual property holders over copyright issues. The ongoing legal battles have raised significant questions about the balance between fair use and copyright protections in the evolving field of artificial intelligence.