WIPS global: [International IP Briefing] US, KR

The New York Times Strikes Content Licensing Deal with Amazon for AI Services

May 29, 2025 – The New York Times announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Amazon, allowing Amazon to utilize The New York Times' content for its artificial intelligence (AI) services.

In December 2023, The New York Times became the first major U.S. media outlet to file a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York1). The lawsuit alleged that its copyrighted works were used without authorization in the training of generative AI models.

In connection with that lawsuit, The New York Times asserted that OpenAI and Microsoft were responsible for illegally reproducing and using its copyrighted works for generative AI training. It demanded the deletion of AI chatbot models and training data, and the relevant lawsuit is currently ongoing.

The New York Times has signed an agreement with Amazon to allow Amazon to use New York Times content for training its own large language models (LLMs) in the process of developing Amazon's AI models. This marks the first official licensing agreement between The New York Times and a generative AI company. The specific terms and conditions of the agreement with Amazon have not been disclosed.

Through this agreement, Amazon will be able to leverage New York Times article content for its AI training. It is expected that New York Times content summaries and real-time information will be provided through Amazon products and services such as Alexa.

Furthermore, the agreement includes not only New York Times news content but also content from "NYT Cooking," which focuses on recipes, and "The Athletic," a sports website.

Meredith Kopit Levien, CEO of The New York Times, emphasized in an internal memo to employees, "This agreement aligns with the principle that high-quality journalism is worth paying for." She further added, "This agreement is part of The New York Times' approach to ensuring its work is appropriately valued, whether through commercial agreements or intellectual property protection."

Major media2) outlets and other sources have noted that this agreement comes amidst the ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit filed by The New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft. This suggests that The New York Times is exploring various strategies related to copyright with AI companies.

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1) U.S District Court Southern District of New York.

2) For related reports, please refer to the following link: https://www.ft.com/content/bc73404e-6f01-4b9e-9563-1a5f055d2c98

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The Korean Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (KOSCAP) Signs Music Copyright Royalty Settlement Agreement with TikTok

May 7, 2025 – The Korean Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (KOSCAP) announced today that it has signed a music copyright royalty settlement agreement with TikTok, the global short-form video platform.

KOSCAP emphasized the significant implications of this agreement, noting that it covers not only future music usage but also past music usage. KOSCAP highlighted the following points:

(1) TikTok's Influence

TikTok is a leading entertainment platform serving over 150 countries worldwide. Through its algorithm-based recommendation system, TikTok has a substantial impact on the global music industry. It shapes new music trends, discovers hidden artists and songs, and promotes the spread of diverse music content.

(2) KOSCAP's Efforts to Strengthen Copyright Settlement Systems

KOSCAP has consistently engaged in discussions with TikTok to protect the copyrights of its members' works used on the platform. With the signing of this KOSCAP-TikTok music copyright royalty settlement agreement, the copyright protection system will be further solidified, and compensation for past music usage will also be provided.

KOSCAP has recently been collaborating with various platforms to strengthen copyright settlement systems. It's actively responding to changes in the digital environment to ensure a transparent and reliable settlement environment. As platforms become more diverse, the rights of music creators must be respected everywhere. Therefore, KOSCAP plans to prioritize protecting its members' rights by fostering win-win relationships with platforms and expanding cooperation with global copyright organizations in line with the evolving digital environment.

(3) Future Royalty Settlement Schedule

Detailed schedules for copyright royalty settlement and payment will be announced to members by KOSCAP at a later date.