Last mentioned: Mar 17, 2026
Dictionary Suit Filed
Merriam-Webster and Britannica file a joint lawsuit alleging data theft and traffic loss.
NYT Lawsuit
The New York Times sues OpenAI for copyright infringement, setting a legal precedent.
ChatGPT Launch
OpenAI releases ChatGPT, utilizing vast amounts of web-scraped data for training.
Merriam-Webster and its parent company Britannica have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT was trained on their proprietary reference material without permission. The plaintiffs argue that the AI's ability to provide instant definitions has decimated their web traffic and threatens the economic viability of traditional lexicography.
Merriam-Webster and Britannica have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT was trained on their proprietary content without authorization. The plaintiffs claim the AI model has 'cannibalized' their web traffic by providing direct answers derived from their intellectual property.
Merriam-Webster and Britannica have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT was trained on their proprietary reference material without authorization. The plaintiffs claim the AI system 'cannibalizes' their web traffic by providing direct answers that bypass the need for their traditional digital platforms.
Merriam-Webster and Britannica have filed a joint lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the tech giant used their proprietary definitions and encyclopedic content to train ChatGPT without authorization. The plaintiffs argue that this practice has led to the 'cannibalization' of their web traffic and threatens the economic viability of traditional reference publishing.