French publishers and authors have filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the social media giant of using their works without permission to train its artificial intelligence (AI) model, the Associated Press reported.
Three French trade groups, including the National Publishing Union, the National Union of Authors and Composers, and the Societe des Gens de Lettres, announced legal action in a Paris court, alleging Meta engaged in the “massive use of copyrighted works without authorization” to develop its generative AI systems.
Vincent Montagne, president of the National Publishing Union, said “numerous works” from its members have been found in Meta’s AI training data. “Meta’s practices demonstrate noncompliance with copyright and parasitism,” he stated in a joint press release.
Meta has not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit. The company has been expanding its AI-powered chatbot features across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, integrating generative AI into its platforms.
The authors’ groups argue that Meta’s AI threatens their industry by producing artificial content that competes with original works. “This lawsuit is necessary to protect our members from AI that plunders their works and cultural heritage to train itself,” said François Peyrony, president of the National Union of Authors and Composers. He also expressed concern over AI-generated “fake books” undermining real literature.
The plaintiffs are demanding the “complete removal” of Meta’s unauthorized data directories used for training its AI. Under the EU AI Act, companies must comply with copyright laws and be transparent about their training data sources.
The case is the latest battle between creative industries and tech firms over AI-related copyright concerns. Similar legal disputes have emerged in the U.S. and U.K., as authors, musicians, and media companies challenge the use of their intellectual property in AI development.
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