Trump Administration Backs OpenAI in Copyright Battle Against The Times

The filing argues that restricting the ability of developers to train large language models on copyrighted text would undermine the constitutional objective of promoting the progress of science and useful arts. Government lawyers asserted that the newspaper’s attempt to narrow the fair-use doctrine would stifle innovation, ultimately hindering American economic mobility. This intervention aligns with the administration's broader policy agenda, which has consistently advocated for a permissive legal environment regarding AI development.

While the administration frames its position around national economic stakes, the move arrives alongside the president’s ongoing defamation litigation against The Times. The outcome of this case carries significant weight for the media industry, which remains split between pursuing legal action and securing licensing agreements. As other outlets like the Chicago Tribune and the Center for Investigative Reporting continue their own challenges, the precedent set here could determine whether AI companies must pay for training data or if they can rely on the broad interpretation of fair use upheld in previous rulings involving companies like Anthropic.