(8 Feb 2025) Microsoft is taking a new approach to using copyrighted books for AI training by offering payment to HarperCollins authors. The deal sheds light on how the industry values creative work in the AI era.
The company has proposed a licensing agreement with publisher HarperCollins that would pay $5,000 per book for AI training rights. Authors would receive half of that amount, or $2,500 per book, according to the publisher.
Alice Robb, who covered the story for Bloomberg, received the same HarperCollins offer for her 2018 book “Why We Dream.” The deal gives Microsoft a three-year training license, with authors free to accept or decline.
While Microsoft is seeking licenses in this case, other AI companies claim that “fair use” allows them to train AI on copyrighted works without payment. They argue that transforming existing data into new products supersedes copyright law. Authors, publishers, and artists disagree, leading to multiple lawsuits.
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