Thomson Reuters’ Wins Landmark AI “Fair Use” Case
Thomson Reuters’ Wins Landmark AI “Fair Use” Case
February 11, 2025, Thomson Reuters recently secured a significant copyright win against now defunct Ross Intelligence, an AI-based legal research firm, in a legal battle concerning the unauthorized scraping and use of its data (https://www.reuters.com/legal/thomson-reuters-wins-ai-copyright-fair-use-ruling-against-one-time-competitor-2025-02-11/).
A federal judge in Delaware ruled in favor of Thomson Reuters, finding that Ross Intelligence had infringed on its copyright by systematically extracting and utilizing data from its platforms without permission. The ruling specifically clarifies that “fair use” does not apply to the copying/reuse of content by an AI system.
In doing so, this case helps to clarify the legal boundaries surrounding data scraping and establishes that such activity can constitute copyright infringement.
Why did Thomson Reuters Pursue this Legal Action?
Thomson Reuters is all about their content; collecting, curating, and delivering high-quality information to its customers.
Unauthorized scraping undermines this investment and threatens its business model. This legal action serves as a deterrent to other potential infringers. It was critical for them to pursue this legal action to protect its valuable data assets and prevent unauthorized exploitation of its intellectual property.
What Does This Case Mean?
This copyright victory is a crucial development for Thomson Reuters and the broader information services industry. And will likely to have a chilling effect on unauthorized data scraping activities.
The ruling reinforces the principle that data, when organized and presented in a particular way, can be subject to copyright protection. This has significant implications for companies that rely on data as a core part of their business.
It sends a strong signal to potential infringers that such actions carry significant legal risks. The ruling may also encourage information providers to invest further in data security and access control technologies
What You Need to Do
Information providers need to review their data protection strategies and ensure they have appropriate measures in place to prevent unauthorized access and use.
Organizations in the business of content creation and AI must conduct a legal review of their data licensing agreements and terms of service.
All organizations must make sure to develop internal governance and policies regarding data access and usage and communicate these policies clearly to employees and partners (https://aragonresearch.com/ai-governance-ai-without-the-pitfalls/).
Bottom Line
This case is a landmark decision that strengthens data protection in the information services industry. It underscores the importance of respecting intellectual property rights and provides a legal framework for addressing unauthorized data scraping.
We have been talking about the importance of governance and specifically governance of AI for years. Clients should use Aragon Research’s AI Governance Checklist to ensure they are putting the right policies and principles in place.
Clients can no longer ignore or plead ignorance of AI scraping and thus infringing on copyrights. Clients must take proactive steps to safeguard their data assets and ensure their own compliance with copyright laws.
Upcoming February 2025 Webinars
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The rise of AI necessitates a new breed of architect: the AI Architect. These skilled professionals possess a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic vision, guiding organizations in their AI journey. During this webinar, we will be exploring the role of an AI Architect, including their role and responsibility, their relationship to other EA roles, and the future of AI architecture.
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