The Seattle Times and Newsday Sue OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Copyright Infringement

The Seattle Times and publisher Newsday filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft on September 4, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In the case, The Seattle Times Company and Newsday LLC seek damages, an injunction and exceptionally broad measures concerning content, data and models that would contain their copyrighted works.

The case is filed under number 1:26-cv-07644. The publishers are suing OpenAI and Microsoft. According to the complaint, the companies copied articles without permission, including paywalled content, used them to train or operate products, and removed copyright information. These are the plaintiffs’ allegations, not findings by the court.

What The Seattle Times lawsuit seeks

In addition to financial compensation and an injunction against further infringement, the publishers propose that the court order the retention or destruction of copies of works, training data or models if they contain their copyrighted material. This proposal goes beyond a request for compensation and a ban on further use of the content.

It is not certain, however, whether the court will grant any of the proposed measures. It has also not been confirmed whether ordering the destruction of specific data files or models would be legally and technically possible. The court has not ruled on these questions.

OpenAI and Microsoft responses

Microsoft told Reuters that it was surprised by the lawsuit and was prepared to discuss a resolution. OpenAI did not comment on the specific dispute. It reiterated, however, its general position that its models use publicly available data and the fair-use principle.

The dispute thus pits differing views of the use of journalistic content in generative artificial intelligence against each other. Publishers object to the unauthorized use of their works, while OpenAI cites publicly available data and fair use. The court will decide how these arguments apply to the specific circumstances of the case.

Why the new dispute matters

The lawsuit increases pressure from publishers to establish rules for using news content in AI training, AI chatbot services and AI search. It concerns copyright, content licensing and the question of what data companies may use in developing and operating their products.

A distinctive aspect of the case is that it involves regional publishers. Both The Seattle Times and Newsday previously had ties to the Lenfest Institute AI fellowship program. The lawsuit itself, however, is directed against OpenAI and Microsoft and focuses on the alleged infringement of rights in the handling of journalistic content.

What happens next

• OpenAI and Microsoft may submit formal responses and procedural motions.
• The court may consider whether to consolidate the case with related publisher disputes against these companies.
• Evidence concerning the origin of the data used, the operation of specific models and the alleged reproduction of articles will be important.
• Licensing negotiations or an out-of-court settlement are also possible.

At this stage, this is a new lawsuit by two publishers, not a final ruling on OpenAI’s or Microsoft’s liability.

Verified and updated: 09/06/2026 06:21