Apple Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Use of Pirated Books for AI Training

Sep 6, 2025
Apple is being sued by authors Grady Hendrix and Jennifer Roberson for allegedly using pirated books to train its AI models, according to Reuters.

Apple Inc. is facing a lawsuit filed by authors Grady Hendrix and Jennifer Roberson, who accuse the tech giant of illegally using their copyrighted books to train its AI models. The lawsuit, filed in the federal court in Northern California, claims that Apple used a dataset known as Books3, which allegedly contains pirated books, to train its OpenELM language models. This dataset was reportedly mentioned in Apple's documentation as part of the RedPajama dataset, which includes Books3 according to Reuters.

The authors are seeking to have the lawsuit proceed as a class action, with requests for statutory and compensatory damages, as well as other legal remedies. They also demand the destruction of all AI models and training sets that incorporate their works. This legal action follows a similar case where Anthropic settled for $1.5 billion over the use of copyrighted books in AI training.

We hope you enjoyed this article

Consider subscribing to one of our newsletters like AI Policy Brief or Daily AI Brief.

Also, consider following us on social media:

AI Safety & Regulation AI Brief AI Brief (X)
Free newsletter

AI Policy Brief

Weekly report on AI regulations, safety standards, government policies, and compliance requirements worldwide.

AI Token Webinar

Market report

2025 Generative AI in Professional Services Report

Thomson Reuters

This report by Thomson Reuters explores the integration and impact of generative AI technologies, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, within the professional services sector. It highlights the growing adoption of GenAI tools across industries like legal, tax, accounting, and government, and discusses the challenges and opportunities these technologies present. The report also examines professionals' perceptions of GenAI and the need for strategic integration to maximize its value.

Read more

You may also like

Free, six days a week

Daily AI Brief: the AI news that matters, in your inbox.