Britannica, Merriam-Webster Sue OpenAI for Alleged Copyright Infringement

Encyclopedias accuse AI company of copying their content to train ChatGPT

Mar. 16, 2026 at 6:18pm

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Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. and Merriam-Webster Inc. have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI Inc., accusing the AI company of 'massive copyright infringement.' The suit alleges that OpenAI's ChatGPT model copies content from Britannica and Merriam-Webster, including verbatim definitions, and then uses that information to train its AI system and produce responses. The lawsuit also claims OpenAI is guilty of trademark infringement when ChatGPT attributes false information to the encyclopedias.

Why it matters

This lawsuit highlights the growing tension between traditional publishers and the rapid development of advanced AI models that can potentially leverage copyrighted content without permission. It raises questions about the boundaries of fair use and the rights of AI companies to utilize information from established reference sources.

The details

According to the complaint filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, OpenAI's ChatGPT copies content from Britannica and Merriam-Webster, including the dictionary's own definition of 'plagiarize,' and then uses that information to train its AI model and generate responses. The suit also accuses OpenAI of trademark infringement when ChatGPT attributes false information to the encyclopedias.

  • The lawsuit was filed on March 16, 2026.

The players

Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc.

A leading publisher of reference works, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica, one of the world's most well-known encyclopedias.

Merriam-Webster Inc.

A leading publisher of dictionaries and other reference works, owned by Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc.

OpenAI Inc.

An artificial intelligence research company that developed the popular ChatGPT language model, which is at the center of this lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing challenges of balancing the rapid development of AI technology with the protection of intellectual property rights held by traditional publishers. It will likely have far-reaching implications for the AI industry and the future of content creation and distribution.