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Encyclopedia Britannica sues OpenAI over ChatGPT training
The lawsuit alleges OpenAI used copyrighted content without permission to train its AI models.
Mar. 16, 2026 at 9:37pm
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Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of using their copyrighted articles and content to train AI systems like ChatGPT without permission. The lawsuit claims OpenAI used tens of thousands of Britannica's copyrighted articles, and that the AI models can sometimes reproduce passages that closely resemble the original content. Britannica is seeking financial damages and an order preventing OpenAI from using their content in future training.
Why it matters
This case is part of a growing legal battle over how AI systems are trained on copyrighted material. Publishers, authors, and media organizations have increasingly argued that their work has been used to train AI models without consent, raising questions about fair use and the need for licensing massive amounts of training data.
The details
The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court and alleges that OpenAI used nearly 100,000 Britannica articles without licensing the material. Britannica claims this amounts to copyright infringement and could undermine its business by allowing users to access information without going to the original source. The case adds to a wave of lawsuits targeting AI companies over their training data, including a lawsuit filed by The New York Times Company against OpenAI.
- The lawsuit was filed on March 16, 2026.
The players
Encyclopaedia Britannica
One of the oldest and most respected reference publishers in the world, known for its high-quality encyclopedia content.
Merriam-Webster
A leading dictionary publisher that has joined Britannica in the lawsuit against OpenAI.
OpenAI
The artificial intelligence company behind the popular ChatGPT language model, which is at the center of the lawsuit.
What they’re saying
“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”
— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on whether to allow the lawsuit to proceed and potentially issue an order preventing OpenAI from using Britannica's content in future training.
The takeaway
This lawsuit highlights the growing tensions between AI companies and content creators over the use of copyrighted material in training large language models. The outcome could have significant implications for the future development of AI systems and the licensing of training data.
