Judge Rules Against AI Firm’s Use of Westlaw Data
Thomson Reuters has secured a significant early victory in a closely watched legal battle over artificial intelligence and copyright law. A U.S. federal judge ruled that Ross Intelligence, a now-defunct legal research firm, improperly used Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw content to train an AI-powered research tool without permission.
The ruling, issued Tuesday by Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, affirms that Ross Intelligence’s actions were not protected under the “fair use” doctrine of U.S. copyright law. The decision marks a major win for copyright holders concerned about how AI developers are using existing works to build their models.
Court Rejects AI Firm’s Fair Use Defense
Thomson Reuters sued Ross Intelligence in 2020, alleging that the company unlawfully used its proprietary legal database, Westlaw, to build a competing AI-powered legal research platform. The lawsuit argued that Ross Intelligence extracted and repurposed Westlaw’s editorial content without authorization, violating copyright protections.
In his summary judgment, Judge Bibas dismissed Ross Intelligence’s fair use defense, stating that “none of Ross’s possible defenses holds water.” The ruling establishes that Westlaw’s legal research materials cannot be freely used to train AI models without permission from their rightful owner. Both Thomson Reuters and Ross Intelligence declined to comment on the decision.
AI Copyright Battles Intensify
The ruling against Ross Intelligence comes at a time when legal challenges against AI developers are growing. Authors, musicians, visual artists, and media organizations have filed lawsuits against AI firms, arguing that their copyrighted works have been used without permission to train AI systems.
Some of the most notable cases include legal battles against OpenAI and Microsoft, which have been sued by best-selling authors such as John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and George R.R. Martin for allegedly using their books without authorization. Media outlets like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Mother Jones have also taken legal action, accusing AI companies of unlawfully scraping their content to train language models.
Implications for AI and Copyright Law
The ruling against Ross Intelligence could set a precedent for future copyright disputes involving AI. As AI companies continue to develop models that rely on vast amounts of text, images, and other media, courts will be forced to clarify the boundaries of fair use in the AI era. The decision reinforces the argument that AI developers must obtain proper licensing agreements before using copyrighted materials.
While this case marks an early win for Thomson Reuters, the broader legal battles over AI and intellectual property rights are far from over. The outcome of these lawsuits will shape the future of AI development and determine how copyright law applies to emerging technologies.
