Meta Faces Legal Threat from Irish Authors Over AI Copyright Use
The Irish Writers Union (IWU) is preparing legal action against major technology companies, including Meta, over the unauthorized use of copyrighted works in training artificial intelligence models. IWU member Conor Kostick revealed that 52 of his works, including 24 books, were scraped from the internet and incorporated into Meta’s AI systems without consent. The IWU seeks to offer licensing solutions to these companies but is prepared to pursue litigation if negotiations fail. Pro bono legal experts and copyright organizations are assisting in evaluating the potential for a successful legal case.
A group of Irish authors recently submitted a petition with 1,500 signatures to Minister of State for Trade Niamh Smyth, urging her to engage with Meta and clarify Irish copyright protections. The government has stated it is closely monitoring developments in copyright and AI at both EU and international levels and is committed to balancing technological innovation with creators’ rights. Current Irish law allows certain uses of copyrighted works if rights holders have not opted out and the works are legally available, but authors claim they were never provided an opt-out mechanism.
The affected works were reportedly scraped from a Russian website that had illegally compiled a massive database of books. IWU chair Conor McAnally indicated that, so far, 82 writers have identified 732 unauthorized works in the Meta AI database, with the number continuing to grow. While immediate financial losses may be limited, the IWU warns of broader implications for intellectual property rights if large corporations are not held accountable.
Authors such as Ruth O’Leary and Valerie Fox O’Loughlin have expressed concern over the ease with which AI models can replicate and commercialize their work without permission. The IWU stresses the importance of government intervention to protect Ireland’s literary culture and ensure respect for copyright in the digital era.
Source: Irish authors seek to stop Big Tech ‘scraping’ their work for AI amid copyright breach claims
