Delhi HC seeks OpenAI's response as top music labels join ChatGPT’s copyright lawsuit: Report

In an escalation in the ongoing legal proceedings around ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, the Delhi High Court has demanded a formal response from the tech giant following an intervention plea from the Indian Music Industry (IMI).

The IMI seeks to intervene in a case brought by news agency Asian News International (ANI), which has accused OpenAI of using ANI’s material without authorisation to train and operate its AI chatbot. 

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for February 21, 2025.

According to a post on X by Bar & Bench, Justice Amit Bansal commented, “We can’t keep expanding the scope of the suit, you can file your own suit. Hundreds of industries may be affected by it.”

The Court has issued notices to all parties to respond to the application for intervention. Advocate Sidhant Kumar, representing ANI, also indicated an intention to file a rebuttal to the new request, noting that the matter involves audio and asking the Court for a chance to submit a written reply.

Several major music labels such as T-Series, Saregama, and Sony, were earlier seeking to join the ongoing copyright litigation against OpenAI in the Delhi High Court, reports Reuters. These music companies have raised concerns about their audio recordings potentially being used to train AI models without authorisation. 

They claim that OpenAI’s systems, along with other artificial intelligence platforms, can scan the internet for lyrics, musical compositions, and similar content, thereby violating their copyrights.

Previously, OpenAI had reportedly informed the Delhi High Court that it does not utilise content from Indian media organisations to train its chatbot. 

The Microsoft-backed firm further contended that it is not obligated to enter into partnership agreements with media organisations to use publicly available content.