The Delhi High Court refused ANI's request for an interim injunction against OpenAI, effectively allowing ChatGPT to continue using its content. This is India's first judicial finding on whether AI can train on copyrighted news, setting an early precedent for the entire news industry. Publishers here were hoping for a clearer path to licensing fees from AI giants.
How We Got Here
ANI filed the suit alleging ChatGPT reproduced copyrighted reports and generated inaccurate responses, causing reputational harm. OpenAI countered that its use was transformative, falling under fair dealing exceptions.
The Numbers
- Justice Amit Bansal found ANI did not establish a prima facie case for interim relief.
- The court ruled OpenAI's storage of works falls under Section 52(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, deeming it fair dealing.
- Outputs from ChatGPT were not "substantially similar" to ANI's content, according to Section 51, dismissing infringement claims.
- The Delhi HC did side with ANI on territorial jurisdiction, meaning the case can proceed in India despite OpenAI being US-based.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For independent news outlets and content creators in Tier-2 cities like Bhopal and Lucknow, this ruling suggests AI companies might not have to pay for training data under current Indian law.
The Take
OpenAI clearly wins the first round here, and it suggests India's Copyright Act is surprisingly AI-friendly for model training. What's being missed is how Indian courts prioritized public benefit over a publisher's specific licensing demand for an interim injunction.
Source:
MediaNama ↗