The Trump administration intervened in The New York Times’ copyright lawsuit against OpenAI this week, filing a statement of interest that backs the AI laboratory’s position on fair use doctrine. The case, originally filed in December 2023, centers on allegations that OpenAI unlawfully used Times articles to train its language models, with the publication seeking billions in damages from both OpenAI and Microsoft.
In its filing, the administration’s legal representatives argued that narrowing fair-use doctrine to exclude AI model training would contradict fundamental copyright principles and impede scientific progress. The statement contended that large language models are already contributing to research breakthroughs across multiple fields and that restricting their development based on misapplied fair-use standards would damage American innovation and economic competitiveness.
The administration has made advancing AI policy a priority through statements of interest in private litigation, viewing the approach as an effective tool for shaping legal outcomes. The position aligns with arguments previously outlined in the administration’s National AI Legislative Framework regarding copyright and model training. Additionally, political considerations may factor into the administration’s involvement, as Trump is currently pursuing a separate defamation suit against the Times.
The case carries significant implications for the broader media industry, as multiple news organizations have filed similar copyright actions against AI developers. Previous litigation resulted in a 2025 court decision finding Anthropic could legally train models on lawfully obtained books while remaining liable for piracy, leading to a $1.5 billion author settlement. Meanwhile, various media outlets including The Associated Press, Axel Springer, and Vox Media have negotiated licensing agreements with OpenAI, and the Times itself secured a 2025 licensing deal with Amazon for content use in generative AI tools.
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