The New York Times and several major US newspapers have filed lawsuits against Brave Software. They accuse the company of copying copyrighted journalism and supplying it to artificial intelligence companies without permission.
The complaints were filed on Monday, November 2, in a federal court in Manhattan. They also raise concerns about Brave’s alleged use of technology that helps readers bypass newspaper paywalls.
According to the publishers, Brave collected their articles, stored them in its search database and made the material available commercially. However, the allegations remain unproven and will be examined through the legal process.
Newspapers Accuse Brave of Supplying Copyrighted Content to AI Firms
The lawsuits involve The New York Times, New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel. These publishers claim Brave used automated software to collect articles from their websites.
This practice, commonly known as web scraping, allows companies to gather large amounts of online information. However, the newspapers argue that Brave copied their journalism without permission or licensing payments.
The complaints further allege that Brave generated revenue by providing access to the collected material. AI companies could then use this information to train models or generate responses.
The publishers specifically identify Anthropic, Perplexity and xAI among the companies allegedly receiving access. However, these AI developers are not defendants in the lawsuits.
The newspapers argue that Brave is profiting from journalism produced through their reporting and editorial work. They believe publishers should receive compensation when companies use their copyrighted material commercially.
Brave Also Faces Allegations Over Newspaper Paywalls
The legal complaints go beyond the alleged collection and distribution of copyrighted articles. Publishers have also challenged certain features of the Brave browser.
Many newspapers restrict access to premium articles through subscription-based paywalls. Readers must therefore pay for subscriptions to access that journalism.
However, the publishers allege that Brave provides features allowing users to bypass these restrictions. They argue that this enables readers to access paid articles without subscribing.
The newspapers claim such features could undermine subscription revenue and weaken their business models. They have also accused Brave of blocking publishers’ advertisements while promoting or selling its own advertising services.
Consequently, the publishers are seeking financial compensation and court orders to stop the alleged copyright violations.
New York Times Says It Previously Warned Brave
The New York Times claims it repeatedly asked Brave to stop using its copyrighted material without permission. However, the newspaper alleges that the company continued the practice despite those requests.
New York Times spokesperson Graham James said the publication supports responsible AI development. Nevertheless, the newspaper believes Brave has violated copyright laws.
The complaints also portray Brave as a supplier of copyrighted news material to other technology companies. The publishers argue that commercial AI products should not use their journalism without proper authorisation.
Perplexity Rejects the Allegations
Perplexity, one of the AI companies named in the complaints, has rejected the allegations. A company spokesperson criticised The New York Times and questioned the accuracy of its claims.
Meanwhile, Brave, Anthropic and xAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Importantly, the lawsuits target Brave Software rather than the AI companies identified as alleged customers. The legal complaints will now proceed through the court system, where the allegations remain subject to examination.
The case raises questions about how browser companies collect online information and make it available to AI developers. It also brings renewed attention to the ongoing dispute over copyright, journalism and commercial AI development.
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