USA Today and Local Newspapers Sue OpenAI for Copyright Infringement

USA Today Co. and several local newspapers have sued OpenAI, alleging unauthorized use of their articles to train AI models, seeking over $250 million in damages.

USA Today Co., along with multiple local newspapers under its ownership, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of copying hundreds of thousands of its articles to train its AI models without permission. The legal action, reported by The Verge on October 8, 2026, claims that OpenAI’s unauthorized use of content has caused significant and ongoing harm to USA Today and its affiliated outlets.

The lawsuit demands damages exceeding $250 million and asserts that OpenAI’s commercial success is built on large-scale copyright infringement. According to the filing, OpenAI did not seek permission to use USA Today's content but instead appropriated it to develop AI products valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Several local newspapers including The Tennessean, Indy Star, The Columbus Dispatch, and The Oklahoman are also part of the suit.

This lawsuit adds to a growing list of copyright challenges against OpenAI. Other initiating parties include The New York Times, The Intercept, CNET owner Ziff Davis, CBC/Radio-Canada, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster, The Seattle Times, and a coalition of nearly 400 local newspapers. Together, these suits highlight mounting legal scrutiny over OpenAI's training methods and content sourcing.

OpenAI has yet to issue a public comment regarding this latest lawsuit. The legal disputes underscore ongoing tensions in the industry as AI developers rely heavily on vast amounts of content from various publishers to build and refine large language models. How these issues will be resolved could significantly impact the future framework for AI training data and copyright law enforcement.