Press content and chatbots: an EU opinion, not yet a rule
In brief
According to CJEU advocate general Maciej Szpunar, a chatbot could reuse information published by a media outlet without consent, provided it does not bypass a paywall and does not reuse the article's style. The opinion concerns a dispute between Hungarian publisher Like Compagny and Google, described by the Court as its first generative AI case. The conclusions do not bind the judges, who are only starting their deliberations.
Source : Next - « Chatbots IA : le droit européen interdirait la reprise d’articles de presse sous paywall »
What it changes for an SME
For an SME with 10 to 250 staff, nothing is legally settled until the Court delivers its judgment. If you use a public chatbot or an internal assistant that fetches web pages, the proposed line is that the substance of freely published information could be reused, but not by bypassing paid access, and not by reproducing the article's style. According to the advocate general, liability would mainly sit with the chatbot provider if the practice is inherent to its business model or if it failed to put in place credible measures. You do not need to change your tools on the basis of this opinion alone.
What you can do
- Ask your AI tool providers whether they rely on paid press sites and how they cite sources.
- If you have an internal assistant that searches the web, check that it does not bypass restricted access.
- Wait for the CJEU judgment before changing staff guidance or contracts.
Let's talk about the time you could save.
In 20 minutes, we find where AI could save you time or money. Free, no commitment.