Penske Media Slams Google with Explosive AI Lawsuit Claim

Media giant Penske drops legal bombshell alleging Google's AI systematically scrapes proprietary content—no permission, no payment.

The Core Allegation

Penske claims Google's AI models trained on copyrighted material from Rolling Stone, Variety, and other premium publications. Straight-up digital theft dressed as innovation.

Legal Precedent Play

This isn't just about content—it's about valuation. When AI eats media, who profits? Hint: not the creators. Another tech giant leveraging others' work while talking about 'ethical AI'.

Financial Fallout

Wall Street watches closely—another reminder that big tech's 'disruption' often means bypassing pesky things like licensing agreements. Because why pay for content when you can just take it and call it machine learning?

Legal actions over Google AI Overviews

The lawsuit follows a February filing by Chegg, an educational technology company, which sued Google for allegedly slashing its website traffic and revenue through its AI search summaries. As a result, Chegg explored strategic options like sale or going private.

Moreover, earlier this month, a judge ruled Google won’t have to sell its Chrome browser, disappointing publishers seeking more control, including an opt-out from AI Overviews. 

Danielle Coffey, CEO of the News/Media Alliance, has also criticized Google for not engaging in fair negotiations with publishers, unlike competitors like OpenAI, which has secured licensing agreements with publishers including News Corp, The Atlantic, and The Financial Times.

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