OpenAI publishes brief excerpts defending fair use for AI training
OpenAI released a compilation of court brief excerpts arguing that fair use supports AI development, as lawsuits over training data intensify.
What to know
- OpenAI compiled court brief excerpts to argue that fair use supports AI training, amid active litigation over training data rights.
- Commenters contest the framing, questioning whether building a business model around fair use qualifies as fair use, and noting OpenAI benefits far more than the cited stakeholders.
- The New York Times lawsuit includes claims of memorization—models reproducing entire articles—going beyond training data disputes to questions of output fidelity.
- Fundamental disagreement persists on whether scale and commercial automation change fair use's traditional scope.
The dispute Whether OpenAI's scale and commercial model constitute fair use or exceed its traditional boundaries, and whether OpenAI genuinely represents a broad public benefit or primarily its own interests. · positions read across 12 posts and comments
OpenAI's commercial automation of fair use differs from fair use itself and overstates benefits to creators.
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“Does building a business around the automation of fair use constitute fair use? I would say no.”
erikschoster · Hacker News ↗
Fair use principles legitimately support AI training as a broader benefit to society.
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“training an open weights AI on the outputs of an AI trained using "fair use", is itself "fair use" that benefits everyone.”
zugi · Hacker News ↗
OpenAI AI company defending fair useThe New York Times Plaintiff in copyright lawsuit
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments
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Hacker News users contest OpenAI's framing
The post gained traction on Hacker News with commenters challenging OpenAI's argument, raising concerns about scale, memorization, and the distinction between using fair use and building business models around its automation.
“Does building a business around the automation of fair use constitute fair use? I would say no.”
— erikschoster -
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# openai v # nyt […] “The New York Times’ lawsuit, meanwhile, asks everyone to ignore a half century of legal history and progress, and toss aside the longstanding principle of fair use in their own narrow pursuit of an undeserved payday.” In other words, we should be allowed to learn from copyrighted articles and books without getting permission…
2 more of the top 3 · 12 posts in this stretch
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Fruitfulness of discussion might be aided by bearing in mind that US and European copyright law traditionally come from very different perspectives. Basically, societal utilitarianism vs work-is-an-inalienable-part-of-the-artist author's natural rights. "Copyright should last 5 years because starving keeps artists productive. And copyright owners…
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Fair use benefits everyone - Open AI https:// openai.com/index/fair-use-bene fits-everyone/ # AI # FairUse # copyright
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OpenAI publishes fair use defense compilation
OpenAI released a page featuring excerpts from court briefs by creators, academics, accessibility advocates, and legal experts supporting fair use for AI training and innovation.
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3 outlets Fair use benefits everyone
first by OpenAI, 13d ago · also HN Frontpage, OpenAI News
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What people are saying 9 voices from 2 sites · best of 12 · verbatim
- Does memorization of copyrighted works cross a legal line fair use doesn't cover?
- What legal distinction, if any, exists between using fair use and building a commercial business model around its automation?
- Oct 31
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This is a good sentiment but wrong idea. The natural state of the world is everyone copies everything. This is hugely beneficial once something is discovered/created. Copyright harms everyone after the fact because of this. Before the fact, credibly limiting copying (i.e. copyrights/patents) may increase discovery/creation. That makes the correct…
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Fair use benefits everyone - Open AI openai.com/index/fair-use… #AI #FairUse #copyright
- Oct 30
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Generational level of hypocrisy from OpenAI. What a nerve putting "authors" in the list first. Fair Use benefits OpenAI and the labs much more than anyone else.Just be honest and don't try to blend it into "Everyone".
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This reminds me of a billboard I saw about 15 years ago when the state of Delaware was considering changing its laws to permit new casinos in addition to the three that had been grandfathered in when the restrictions went into place.Delaware Park, one of those three casinos, put up a billboard opposing the bill, and it said, "No more casinos!…
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The irony of Sam Altman's company pretending to care about what's "fair" is so very rich.He literally made billions exploiting the intellectual work of millions of his fellow humans, yet has the audacity to whine about how the system isn't fair.
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Translation from corporate speak: when we steal from you that's good; when you steal from us that's bad
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I agree on this point!And also, training an open weights AI on the outputs of an AI trained using "fair use", is itself "fair use" that benefits everyone.
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OK. Obviously the use-case has changed.Consider a random example of fair use: print an excerpt of this three panel comic you would like to discuss.Does building a business around the automation of fair use constitute fair use? I would say no.
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From that article:> The New York Times’ lawsuit, meanwhile, asks everyone to ignore a half century of legal history and progress, and toss aside the longstanding principle of fair use in their own narrow pursuit of an undeserved payday.The New York Times lawsuit isn't purely about training on content - it's about memorization. They included…