US court rules against AI startup in landmark copyright case

Thomson Reuters has won a significant copyright lawsuit against legal AI startup Ross Intelligence. The ruling, reported by Kate Knibbs in WIRED, found that Ross Intelligence infringed on Thomson Reuters’ copyright by using content from its Westlaw legal research platform. US Circuit Court Judge Stephanos Bibas rejected all of Ross’s fair use defenses, particularly emphasizing that Ross aimed to compete with Westlaw by creating a market substitute. The decision could have far-reaching implications for AI companies using copyrighted material for training. Legal experts, including Cornell University professor James Grimmelmann, suggest this ruling could pose challenges for generative AI companies defending similar cases. Ross Intelligence had already shut down in 2021 due to litigation costs, while the case continues to influence ongoing AI copyright disputes worldwide.