Thomson Reuters wins landmark AI copyright appeal

A US appeals court has upheld a ruling in favor of Thomson Reuters in its copyright dispute against Ross Intelligence. The case centers on allegations that Ross Intelligence used copyrighted material from Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw platform to train its AI-powered legal search engine.

The 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Ross Intelligence’s argument that its use of the material constituted fair use. This decision marks the first time a US appeals court has ruled on a copyright dispute specifically involving AI training. While many ongoing legal battles involve generative AI, this case focused on an AI system designed to identify relevant court opinions using Westlaw’s “headnotes,” which summarize legal points.

Ross Intelligence shut down its platform in 2021, citing the high costs of the litigation. Thomson Reuters stated that the ruling reinforces the importance of protecting intellectual property to foster innovation in AI solutions.