HomeLaw Professors Support Authors in AI Copyright Battle Against Meta
A group of copyright law professors has thrown their support behind authors suing Meta, alleging that the tech giant trained its Llama AI models on e-books without the authors' consent. The professors filed an amicus brief on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, challenging Meta's claim of fair use. They argue that Meta's defense is seeking "a breathtaking request for greater legal privileges than courts have ever granted human authors."
The brief asserts that using copyrighted works to train AI models isn't "transformative." It states, "The use of copyrighted works to train generative models is not 'transformative,' because using works for that purpose is not relevantly different from using them to educate human authors, which is a principal original purpose of all of [authors'] works." Furthermore, it argues that this use is commercial in nature, as it enables the creation of competing works in the same market, especially when pursued by a for-profit entity like Meta.
Adding to the chorus of support for the authors, the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers, a global trade association for academic and professional publishers, also filed an amicus brief on the same day.
Following the publication of this article, a Meta spokesperson directed TechCrunch to amicus briefs filed by a smaller group of law professors and the Electronic Frontier Foundation last week, which support Meta's stance in the case.
The Case: Kadrey v. Meta
In the lawsuit, authors such as Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates claim that Meta infringed on their intellectual property by using their e-books to train AI models. They further allege that Meta stripped the copyright information from these e-books to conceal the infringement. In response, Meta has argued that its use of the e-books falls under fair use and that the case should be dismissed due to the authors' lack of standing to sue.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria allowed the case to proceed, though he dismissed a portion of it. In his ruling, Chhabria noted that the copyright infringement claim constitutes "obviously a concrete injury sufficient for standing," and that the authors have "adequately alleged that Meta intentionally removed CMI [copyright management information] to conceal copyright infringement."
Currently, the courts are handling several AI-related copyright lawsuits, including The New York Times' suit against OpenAI.
Updated 3:36 p.m. Pacific: Added references to the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers' amicus brief, as well as amicus briefs filed in support of Meta's position.
Related article
Frontier AI Labs Refuse to Disclose Containment Strategies for Rogue Models
Recent research indicates that very few leading AI laboratories have published or demonstrated containment response plans. A containment plan defines the procedures for when an AI system attempts to subvert human control, specifying which access righ
Does Mark Zuckerberg Really Believe AI Is for Everyone?
Loading the player…Meta introduced Glimmer this week, an open-weight AI model that anyone can download and run on personal hardware—a sharp contrast to Muse Spark, the company’s more powerful model, which remains locked behind its own APIs. The relea
Facebook launches AI companion app for creators
Facebook revealed on Wednesday that it is transforming its Creator Studio into a dedicated AI companion app, empowering creators to expand their reach on the platform.By providing this AI-driven tool, Meta aims to retain creators on Facebook amid int
Related Special Topic Recommendations
writing
Best AI Outline Generators for Long-Form SEO Articles
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Outline Generators for Long-Form SEO Articles, meticulously curated by XIX.AI. These powerful tools offer game-changing assistance in creating high-quality content quickly, boosting writing efficiency significantly. Get a free vs paid comparison along with real-world tests and detailed rankings to help you find the must-try option that suits your needs. Explore now to unlock your AI edge.
8 tools
xix.ai
Education and Learning
AI Study Tools for Homework and Exam Prep
2026 Latest Best AI Study Tools for Homework and Exam Prep! XIX.AI curates a top-rated list of powerful, game-changing tools that help students boost productivity, streamline homework completion, and ace exams through real-world tests. Get a free vs paid comparison, detailed rankings, and must-try options to unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
10 tools
xix.ai
Music composition
AI Vocal Demo Tools for Songwriters, Hooks, Toplines, and Multilingual Draft Sessions
2026 Latest Best AI Vocal Demo Tools for Songwriters, Hook Creators, and Multi-Language Content Teams! XIX.AI has curated a top-rated list of powerful game-changing tools that go through rigorous real-world tests. You’ll find detailed free vs paid comparison data, comprehensive rankings, and must-try options to help you boost writing efficiency and unlock your creative potential. Explore now to discover your perfect tool for all your content needs!
9 tools
xix.ai
Business
Best AI Competitive Research Tools for Small Businesses
2026 Latest Best Top-rated AI Competitive Research Tools for Small Businesses! XIX.AI has curated a highly powerful game-changing collection, updated weekly with rigorous real-world tests and detailed rankings. You can find a comprehensive free vs paid comparison to help you identify the must-try tools that boost your productivity and give you a competitive edge. Explore now to discover your perfect tool!
9 tools
xix.ai
Image editing
Photoshop AI Retouch Tools for Ecommerce Apparel, Skin Cleanup, and Color Consistency
2026 Latest Best Photoshop AI retouch tools for ecommerce apparel, skin cleanup, and color consistency! This top-rated curated list features powerful game-changing solutions that help you boost writing efficiency, streamline content creation, and achieve perfect visual results effortlessly. Each tool has undergone real-world tests through weekly updated rankings, complete with free vs paid comparison details. Backed by XIX.AI, it’s the must-try guide for anyone aiming to unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
10 tools
xix.ai
Prompt
Best AI Prompt Libraries for ChatGPT Workflows
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Prompt Libraries for optimizing all types of ChatGPT workflows. XIX.AI has curated a powerful, game-changing collection that goes through rigorous real-world tests to ensure top performance. You can find detailed free vs paid comparisons and expert rankings to help you choose the must-try tools that boost your productivity and unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
11 tools
xix.ai
Comments (5)
0/500
![ChristopherDavis]()
C'est incroyable de voir des profs de droit soutenir les auteurs contre Meta ! 😮 L'IA qui pompe des e-books sans permission, ça pose vraiment question sur l'éthique technologique. À quand une régulation claire ?
![GregorySmith]()
It's wild to see law professors jumping into the AI copyright fray! Meta's Llama training on e-books without permission feels like a digital heist. Curious how this case will shape AI ethics 🤔.
![DanielHarris]()
Wow, Meta's in hot water now! Authors deserve credit for their work, not to have it slurped up by AI without permission. Hope this case shakes things up! ⚖️
![StephenRamirez]()
It's wild that Meta thought they could just train Llama on e-books without asking authors! 🤯 Those law professors stepping in with the amicus brief is a big move—hope it shakes things up in court.
![EricKing]()
It's wild to see law professors backing authors against Meta! 📚 This AI copyright fight is heating up—makes me wonder how tech giants keep dodging accountability. Hope the authors win this one!
A group of copyright law professors has thrown their support behind authors suing Meta, alleging that the tech giant trained its Llama AI models on e-books without the authors' consent. The professors filed an amicus brief on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, challenging Meta's claim of fair use. They argue that Meta's defense is seeking "a breathtaking request for greater legal privileges than courts have ever granted human authors."
The brief asserts that using copyrighted works to train AI models isn't "transformative." It states, "The use of copyrighted works to train generative models is not 'transformative,' because using works for that purpose is not relevantly different from using them to educate human authors, which is a principal original purpose of all of [authors'] works." Furthermore, it argues that this use is commercial in nature, as it enables the creation of competing works in the same market, especially when pursued by a for-profit entity like Meta.
Adding to the chorus of support for the authors, the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers, a global trade association for academic and professional publishers, also filed an amicus brief on the same day.
Following the publication of this article, a Meta spokesperson directed TechCrunch to amicus briefs filed by a smaller group of law professors and the Electronic Frontier Foundation last week, which support Meta's stance in the case.
The Case: Kadrey v. Meta
In the lawsuit, authors such as Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates claim that Meta infringed on their intellectual property by using their e-books to train AI models. They further allege that Meta stripped the copyright information from these e-books to conceal the infringement. In response, Meta has argued that its use of the e-books falls under fair use and that the case should be dismissed due to the authors' lack of standing to sue.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria allowed the case to proceed, though he dismissed a portion of it. In his ruling, Chhabria noted that the copyright infringement claim constitutes "obviously a concrete injury sufficient for standing," and that the authors have "adequately alleged that Meta intentionally removed CMI [copyright management information] to conceal copyright infringement."
Currently, the courts are handling several AI-related copyright lawsuits, including The New York Times' suit against OpenAI.
Updated 3:36 p.m. Pacific: Added references to the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers' amicus brief, as well as amicus briefs filed in support of Meta's position.
Frontier AI Labs Refuse to Disclose Containment Strategies for Rogue Models
Recent research indicates that very few leading AI laboratories have published or demonstrated containment response plans. A containment plan defines the procedures for when an AI system attempts to subvert human control, specifying which access righ
Does Mark Zuckerberg Really Believe AI Is for Everyone?
Loading the player…Meta introduced Glimmer this week, an open-weight AI model that anyone can download and run on personal hardware—a sharp contrast to Muse Spark, the company’s more powerful model, which remains locked behind its own APIs. The relea
Facebook launches AI companion app for creators
Facebook revealed on Wednesday that it is transforming its Creator Studio into a dedicated AI companion app, empowering creators to expand their reach on the platform.By providing this AI-driven tool, Meta aims to retain creators on Facebook amid int
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Outline Generators for Long-Form SEO Articles, meticulously curated by XIX.AI. These powerful tools offer game-changing assistance in creating high-quality content quickly, boosting writing efficiency significantly. Get a free vs paid comparison along with real-world tests and detailed rankings to help you find the must-try option that suits your needs. Explore now to unlock your AI edge.
8 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best AI Study Tools for Homework and Exam Prep! XIX.AI curates a top-rated list of powerful, game-changing tools that help students boost productivity, streamline homework completion, and ace exams through real-world tests. Get a free vs paid comparison, detailed rankings, and must-try options to unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
10 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best AI Vocal Demo Tools for Songwriters, Hook Creators, and Multi-Language Content Teams! XIX.AI has curated a top-rated list of powerful game-changing tools that go through rigorous real-world tests. You’ll find detailed free vs paid comparison data, comprehensive rankings, and must-try options to help you boost writing efficiency and unlock your creative potential. Explore now to discover your perfect tool for all your content needs!
9 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Top-rated AI Competitive Research Tools for Small Businesses! XIX.AI has curated a highly powerful game-changing collection, updated weekly with rigorous real-world tests and detailed rankings. You can find a comprehensive free vs paid comparison to help you identify the must-try tools that boost your productivity and give you a competitive edge. Explore now to discover your perfect tool!
9 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Photoshop AI retouch tools for ecommerce apparel, skin cleanup, and color consistency! This top-rated curated list features powerful game-changing solutions that help you boost writing efficiency, streamline content creation, and achieve perfect visual results effortlessly. Each tool has undergone real-world tests through weekly updated rankings, complete with free vs paid comparison details. Backed by XIX.AI, it’s the must-try guide for anyone aiming to unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
10 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Prompt Libraries for optimizing all types of ChatGPT workflows. XIX.AI has curated a powerful, game-changing collection that goes through rigorous real-world tests to ensure top performance. You can find detailed free vs paid comparisons and expert rankings to help you choose the must-try tools that boost your productivity and unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
11 tools
xix.ai
C'est incroyable de voir des profs de droit soutenir les auteurs contre Meta ! 😮 L'IA qui pompe des e-books sans permission, ça pose vraiment question sur l'éthique technologique. À quand une régulation claire ?
It's wild to see law professors jumping into the AI copyright fray! Meta's Llama training on e-books without permission feels like a digital heist. Curious how this case will shape AI ethics 🤔.
Wow, Meta's in hot water now! Authors deserve credit for their work, not to have it slurped up by AI without permission. Hope this case shakes things up! ⚖️
It's wild that Meta thought they could just train Llama on e-books without asking authors! 🤯 Those law professors stepping in with the amicus brief is a big move—hope it shakes things up in court.
It's wild to see law professors backing authors against Meta! 📚 This AI copyright fight is heating up—makes me wonder how tech giants keep dodging accountability. Hope the authors win this one!
