DOJ's copyright filing took key agencies by surprise

The Justice Department's recent copyright filing in support of OpenAI and Microsoft caught the Patent and Trademark Office and the Copyright Office off guard, according to people familiar with the matter. The filing was submitted in the ongoing copyright lawsuit brought by The New York Times against the AI companies.

The lack of coordination between the Justice Department and the key federal offices responsible for intellectual property policy points to a fragmented approach within the government on AI and copyright law. This episode underscores the absence of a unified federal policy as courts weigh high-stakes disputes over training data and fair use.

For creators, publishers, and AI vendors, the surprise filing reinforces the need to prepare for continued legal uncertainty. With agencies not aligned, the rules governing the use of copyrighted material in artificial intelligence systems remain unsettled.

Source: https://www.axios.com/