TLDR: The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) has filed a case in the Delhi High Court against OpenAI, alleging that its AI models, particularly ChatGPT, are illegally using copyrighted news content, thereby undermining the economic viability and future of news media in India.
The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) has initiated legal action in the Delhi High Court, accusing artificial intelligence giant OpenAI of copyright infringement and unauthorized use of news content. The association contends that OpenAI’s AI models, including ChatGPT, are ‘erasing’ news media by leveraging their content without permission or compensation, posing a significant threat to the industry’s survival.
During the court proceedings on August 5, 2025, Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao, representing the DNPA, argued that the continued unauthorized use of news content by large language models (LLMs) could lead to the disappearance of both physical and digital news outlets, leaving only AI platforms like ChatGPT. Rao stated, ‘Physical newspaper circulation has come down drastically. Physical newspapers are disappearing, digital news will disappear, and only ChatGPT will remain. It reduces my incentive to publish.’ He further emphasized the legal aspect, asserting, ‘The moment you download my content without permission, you infringe on my exclusive rights. Even storing an infringing copy for a transient moment amounts to infringement.’
As part of their submission, the DNPA presented an instance where ChatGPT reportedly reproduced excerpts from an interview in response to a user query, which they argued was an unauthorized and illegal act. The DNPA, an intervenor in an existing copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Asian News International (ANI) against OpenAI, represents a consortium of major Indian media houses, including The Times Group, The Hindu, The Indian Express, and NDTV.
ANI’s original suit alleges that OpenAI is commercially exploiting its original content to train ChatGPT. In its defense, OpenAI has countered that copyright protection for news reporting is limited, and there is a broader public interest in ensuring free access to information.
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Justice Amit Bansal, presiding over the case, observed the challenge of applying existing legal frameworks to rapidly evolving technology, noting, ‘This is a classic case where a law last amended in 2012 is trying to keep pace with technology.’ The legal battle highlights a growing global debate concerning the rights of publishers in the age of artificial intelligence. Further hearings in the case are scheduled for August 18, September 12, and September 23, 2025.
