signalHacker News Best2026-09-28
Unsealed Briefs in Authors’ Case v. Microsoft/OpenAI
Newly unsealed court filings in Authors Guild v. OpenAI reveal that executives at both OpenAI and Microsoft intentionally used books from a sketchy Russian website and released products that could make people unemployed, showing disdain for human authorship. The plaintiffs include the Authors Guild and noted writers such as David Baldacci, John Grisham, and George R.R. Martin. The briefs argue the defendants knowingly chose to steal books rather than pay for them, threatening American culture and writers' livelihoods.
- for who
- Authors, publishers, and anyone following AI copyright litigation
- what changes
- This evidence of willful misconduct could shift public and legal perception of OpenAI and Microsoft's training practices, strengthening the case for authors' rights.
- to do
- Join the Authors Guild to support efforts protecting authors' rights and follow the ongoing litigation
key points
- Unsealed briefs show OpenAI and Microsoft intentionally used pirated books from a Russian site
- Authors Guild and prominent writers accuse both companies of willful copyright infringement
- Hearing expected in early 2027 in Manhattan as part of multidistrict litigation
#lawsuit#openai#copyright4 sources · confidence medium
score
score 5 out of 10. 0-10: how dense the facts are, multiplied by how much you can do with them after reading. 8+ means the topic's evidence bar is met: benchmarks and availability for a new model, amount and investors for a funding round, revenue figures for a solo-money story. Below 5 an item does not enter the digest. A press release scores 3 or less, a reprint loses 2, anything older than 14 days loses 1, a headline that misleads loses 3.
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