Delhi HC seeks response from OpenAI in legal dispute with Indian music industry

The ongoing legal proceedings involving OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, took a significant turn as the Delhi High Court demanded a formal response from the tech giant following an intervention plea filed by the Indian Music Industry (IMI). The IMI seeks to intervene in a case initiated by news agency Asian News International (ANI), which has accused OpenAI of using ANI's material without authorization to train its AI systems, including the ChatGPT chatbot.

The case has drawn the attention of major Indian music labels like T-Series, Saregama, and Sony, who have also raised concerns about their audio recordings being used without permission to train AI models. These companies argue that OpenAI and other AI platforms may be scanning the internet for copyrighted content such as lyrics and musical compositions, potentially infringing on their rights.

The Delhi High Court, during a hearing on the matter, scheduled for February 21, 2025, addressed the growing scope of the case. Justice Amit Bansal emphasized the need to keep the suit focused and advised the parties that they could pursue their own cases if necessary. “We can’t keep expanding the scope of the suit; you can file your own suit,” said Justice Bansal, according to Bar & Bench’s post on X. The Court issued notices to all parties to respond to the application for intervention.

Advocate Sidhant Kumar, representing ANI, indicated that the news agency intends to file a rebuttal to the IMI's request and sought an opportunity to submit a written reply, especially considering the involvement of audio material in the case.

Earlier, OpenAI had stated that it does not use content from Indian media organizations to train its AI models. The company also contended that it is not required to enter into formal partnerships with media organizations to use publicly available content.

As the legal battle intensifies, industry stakeholders and media organizations are closely watching how the case will unfold, particularly as the issue of copyright infringement and AI training methods continues to raise questions in global legal forums.

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