Google Faces New AI Training Lawsuit From Major Publishers

A group of publishers and authors has filed a class action lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of using copyrighted works to train its Gemini AI platform. The plaintiffs include Hachette, Cengage, Elsevier, author Scott Turow and S.C.R.I.B.E. They allege Google trained AI models on protected material without receiving the necessary permission.

The lawsuit points to publishers’ long-running relationship with Google through programs such as Google Books, where works were provided for limited search and bibliographic uses. According to the complaint, those programs did not authorize Google to use the books for AI training. The plaintiffs also claim Google trained Gemini on books uploaded to the Google Play store without permission.

The case joins a wave of complaints from publishers, authors and copyright holders against AI companies including Google, Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic. Some early California court decisions have favored AI companies by treating certain AI training uses as fair use under U.S. copyright law. But TechCrunch notes the conflict remains nuanced, and the Google case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, giving another court a chance to weigh in.

The plaintiffs also allege Google removed or changed copyright information to conceal that Gemini models were trained on stolen materials. They cite an internal Google document that allegedly warned using copyrighted books for AI training could be highly problematic and could expose the company to large potential fines. Google did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.