America's Newspapers files amicus brief backing publishers against OpenAI and Microsoft

What happened

America's Newspapers filed an amicus brief on 30 October 2026 supporting news publishers in their copyright litigation against OpenAI and Microsoft, urging the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to consider the stakes for local newspapers and the communities that depend on them. The filing was reported by Editor and Publisher on 6 November 2026.

The dispute

The litigation concerns the companies' use of copyrighted news content without permission to train and operate their artificial-intelligence products. OpenAI and Microsoft contend the use is permitted under copyright law's fair-use doctrine. The publishers argue the companies have used their work to build products that compete for their readers and undermine the revenue needed to produce original reporting.

Why this filer is distinct

America's Newspapers is the trade association for local newspapers; its brief speaks specifically to the local-news angle of the litigation. It is a different filer from the News/Media Alliance, whose 30 October amicus brief is already covered on this site.

Status

This is an amicus brief in support of the publishers' position. It is the filer's argument, not a court finding; the court has not ruled on the summary-judgment motions.