EU court adviser flags potential copyright breach in Google Gemini case

An adviser to the European Court of Justice has delivered an opinion backing publishers' claims that Google's Gemini artificial intelligence system may infringe their copyright protections in certain circumstances. The legal counsel found that the chatbot's reuse of press articles without appropriate licensing agreements could constitute a violation of publishers' intellectual property rights.

The case centers on whether tech companies must obtain explicit permission from news organisations before training AI systems on their published content or incorporating excerpts into chatbot responses. Publishers have argued that Gemini and similar tools derive commercial value from their journalism without providing fair compensation or attribution.

While the adviser's opinion is not binding, it carries significant weight and typically influences the court's final judgment. The ruling is expected to set an important precedent for how EU regulations on copyright and intellectual property apply to generative AI technologies across member states.

The decision comes amid growing tension between technology companies and media outlets over AI training practices. News publishers globally have increasingly challenged AI developers' use of their content, arguing that it undermines their business models and journalism funding. Several major publishers have taken legal action or negotiated licensing agreements to protect their work.

The European Court of Justice's final ruling on this matter is anticipated in coming months and could reshape how AI companies operating in Europe handle copyrighted news content and other published materials.