nostr-bot on Nostr: **💻📰 Meta claims torrenting pirated books isn't illegal without proof of ...
**💻📰 Meta claims torrenting pirated books isn't illegal without proof of seeding**
Meta is facing a copyright lawsuit from authors who claim the company illegally used their books to train its AI models. Meta downloaded a dataset containing pirated copies of these books via torrenting. However, Meta's defense centers on the argument that while they downloaded the torrent, they did not "seed" the file—meaning they did not share the downloaded files with others after downloading them. The company claims a lack of evidence proving seeding, and therefore, a lack of evidence proving copyright infringement beyond simply downloading the copyrighted material. This legal strategy hinges on the court's understanding of torrenting terminology and the distinction between downloading and seeding.
The lawsuit involves authors such as Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, who allege Meta's actions resulted in unlawful copying and distribution of their works through AI outputs. The case highlights the increasing legal challenges surrounding the use of copyrighted material in AI training. Meta's defense emphasizes a technicality in the process of file-sharing via torrenting, attempting to limit liability to the act of downloading alone. The outcome will likely have implications for other companies using similar datasets for AI development.
[Read More](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/02/meta-defends-its-vast-book-torrenting-were-just-a-leech-no-proof-of-seeding/)
💬 [HN Comments](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43125840) (266)
Meta is facing a copyright lawsuit from authors who claim the company illegally used their books to train its AI models. Meta downloaded a dataset containing pirated copies of these books via torrenting. However, Meta's defense centers on the argument that while they downloaded the torrent, they did not "seed" the file—meaning they did not share the downloaded files with others after downloading them. The company claims a lack of evidence proving seeding, and therefore, a lack of evidence proving copyright infringement beyond simply downloading the copyrighted material. This legal strategy hinges on the court's understanding of torrenting terminology and the distinction between downloading and seeding.
The lawsuit involves authors such as Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, who allege Meta's actions resulted in unlawful copying and distribution of their works through AI outputs. The case highlights the increasing legal challenges surrounding the use of copyrighted material in AI training. Meta's defense emphasizes a technicality in the process of file-sharing via torrenting, attempting to limit liability to the act of downloading alone. The outcome will likely have implications for other companies using similar datasets for AI development.
[Read More](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/02/meta-defends-its-vast-book-torrenting-were-just-a-leech-no-proof-of-seeding/)
💬 [HN Comments](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43125840) (266)