EXPLORINEER
en

Archive — US — techcrunch

Publishers sue AI startup Cohere over alleged copyright infringement

A group of fourteen publishers, including Condé Nast and Forbes, has sued AI startup Cohere for allegedly using over 4,000 copyrighted works to train its AI models, infringing copyrights and trademarks. Cohere denies the claims, asserting its compliance with IP rights. This lawsuit follows a series of legal actions against AI firms concerning intellectual property violations.

Key points

  • A consortium of fourteen publishers has filed a lawsuit against Cohere.
  • The publishers claim that Cohere used over 4,000 copyrighted works without permission.
  • Cohere allegedly displayed large portions or entire articles from these works, harming referral traffic to the publishers.
  • The lawsuit also alleges trademark infringement due to Cohere creating fictitious content 'hallucinated' as being published.
  • Cohere's response indicates confidence in their practices related to intellectual property rights, and they view the lawsuit as misguided.
  • This lawsuit is part of a broader trend of legal challenges against AI companies over copyright issues.

Why it matters

  • The rise of generative AI technologies has led to increased scrutiny and legal action related to copyright infringement.
  • Other AI companies like OpenAI are engaging in licensing agreements to mitigate legal risks and assert fair use arguments.
  • The trends in 2025 IT show a growing concern over intellectual property rights as AI integration increases in various sectors.

The lawsuit against Cohere highlights ongoing tensions between AI innovation and intellectual property rights, reflecting broader issues within the tech industry as it navigates legal frameworks and ethical practices.