META ACCUSED OF INFRINGING ON COPYRIGHTS
The Joseph Saveri Law Firm, LLP has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) alleging that they have infringed on the copyrights of book authors by using their works to train their Large Language Models (LLMs).
Meta has developed a series of LLMs known as LLaMA, which undergo training on extensive text data to enable functionalities such as text generation, language translation, and question answering. However, Meta stands accused of employing copyrighted books without obtaining consent from the authors for training LLaMA. Consequently, the author's works are being used to develop a competing product. As creators, the authors possess legal copyrights to their publications and have not authorized the usage of their works as training material.
The lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that Meta has employed copyrighted books without the authors' consent to train their LLMs. Furthermore, it asserts that Meta has violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by using the authors' works without permission. The DMCA prohibits the circumvention of technological measures controlling access to copyrighted works.
The lawsuit seeks damages for the authors and an injunction to prevent Meta from further infringing on their copyrights.
CASE FILED
On July 7th, 2023, the lawsuit was filed by the Joseph Saveri Law Firm, LLP. The case, Kadrey v. Meta Platforms, Inc., seeks damages for the authors and an injunction to prevent Meta from further infringing on their copyrights. The lawsuit also seeks to ensure that LLaMA and other AI products follow the same rules as any other new technology that involves the use of massive amounts of intellectual property.
"As artificial intelligence continues to change every aspect of the modern world, we must recognize and protect the rights of artists such as these authors against unlawful theft and fraud," said Joseph Saveri, founder of the Joseph Saveri Law Firm, LLP. "LLaMA is not just an infringement of authors' rights; whether they aim to or not, these products will eliminate 'author' as a viable career path. This case represents a larger fight for preserving ownership rights for all artists and other creators."
On July 11, 2023, NBC News Legal Analyst Danny Cevallos detailed what the plaintiffs are alleging in this "case of first impression" that is "critical for the future of AI," and projected that "the class [size] will be massive" given potential opportunities for other content creators to take legal action.
On September 24, 2024, the firm announced that it, Matthew Butterick, and co-counsel are now partnering with Boies Schiller Flexner (BSF) to continue litigating the lawsuit.