Reuters

 

Recently, Anthropic achieved a legal victory in a case addressing the use of copyrighted works for training its artificial intelligence model, Claude. In a decision issued by Judge William Alsup of the US District Court for the Northern District of California, it was determined that the company’s use of legally purchased books did not violate copyright law, as it was considered a “transformative” use.

Moreover, Judge Alsup highlighted that Anthropic’s methodology, which uses texts to generate answers to natural language questions, aligns with the fair use doctrine. The Court argued that the model did not replicate the original works but rather utilized them to create new content, reinforcing the notion that innovation can coexist with intellectual property.

However, the Court also identified that Anthropic may have infringed copyright by downloading millions of pirated books. This aspect of the ruling underscores the legal responsibility the company faces for using unauthorized materials, which will result in an additional trial to assess damages related to this conduct. Judge Alsup’s decision establishes that the subsequent acquisition of previously infringed works does not exempt the company from liability, a point that could have a significant impact on how companies obtain and use protected content.

The case was driven by a lawsuit filed by three authors who alleged that Anthropic had built a billion-dollar business at the expense of their works. Despite the company’s defense, which celebrated the ruling as recognition of its transformative approach, concerns about access to infringed materials raise questions about the ethics and legality in the development of AI technologies. This dilemma resonates in the industry, where other companies also face litigation related to the use of protected content.

As technology advances, it will be crucial for companies to maintain responsible practices in using protected works to ensure a balance between creativity and respect for copyright, thereby ensuring sustainable development in the AI industry.