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OpenAI Faces Legal Sanctions Over Evidence Withholding in Copyright Case

OpenAI Faces Legal Sanctions Over Evidence Withholding in Copyright Case

First seen 10 Jul 2026, 02:46 UTC • •
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ThreatCluster AI
ThreatCluster •October 1, 2026 at 14:16 UTC
  • •OpenAI is accused of obstructing evidence in a copyright lawsuit by the New York Times and others.
  • •A deposition revealed OpenAI had previously searched its training data, contradicting its claims of infeasibility.
  • •The plaintiffs seek sanctions, including barring OpenAI from using its redacted chat log sample as evidence.

The New York Times and over a dozen other news organizations have filed a motion seeking sanctions against OpenAI, accusing the company of deliberately obstructing the discovery process in a copyright infringement lawsuit. The plaintiffs allege that OpenAI misrepresented its ability to search its training data for copyrighted material, claiming it was technically infeasible, while evidence suggests otherwise. A deposition revealed that OpenAI had already compiled a database of 78 million de-identified ChatGPT conversations and developed tools to detect content reproduction prior to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs are requesting the court to bar OpenAI from using a heavily redacted sample of 20 million chat logs as evidence and to rule that the logs would show significant reproduction of their journalism. OpenAI has denied the allegations, asserting that its use of the content falls under fair use principles.

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Timeline

2026-07-09
News organizations file for sanctions against OpenAI
The New York Times and 14 other publishers filed a motion in court accusing OpenAI of withholding evidence in their copyright infringement lawsuit.
UPI
2026-07-11
OpenAI's evidence handling criticized
A motion filed by plaintiffs claims OpenAI engaged in a systemic effort to obstruct discovery, including deleting billions of chat logs after a court order.
Au.Finance.Yahoo
2026-07-11
New York Times seeks sanctions against OpenAI
The motion highlights OpenAI's alleged deception regarding its ability to search training data for copyrighted material, undermining its defense.
Bloomberg Law

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Common questions

What are the main allegations against OpenAI?
OpenAI is accused of obstructing the discovery process and misrepresenting its ability to search for copyrighted material.
What sanctions are being sought?
The plaintiffs are asking the court to bar OpenAI from using its redacted chat log sample as evidence and to rule that the logs would show significant reproduction of their content.
How has OpenAI responded to these allegations?
OpenAI has denied the allegations, asserting that its use of the content falls under fair use principles.