French publishers and authors sue Meta over copyright works used in AI training
French publishers and authors said Wednesday they're taking Meta to court, accusing the social media company of using their works without permission to train its artificial intelligence model.
Three trade groups said they were launching legal action against Meta in a Paris court over what they said was the company's 'massive use of copyrighted works without authorization' to train its generative AI model.
The National Publishing Union, which represents book publishers, has noted that 'numerous works' from its members are turning up in Meta's data pool, the group's president, Vincent Montagne, said in a joint statement.
Meta didn't respond to a request for comment. The company has rolled out generative-AI powered chatbot assistants to users of its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms.
Montagne accused Meta of 'noncompliance with copyright and parasitism.'
Another group, the National Union of Authors and Composers, which represents 700 writers, playwrights and composers, said the lawsuit was necessary to protect members from 'AI which plunders their works and cultural heritage to train itself.'
The union is also worried about AI that 'produces 'fake books' which compete with real books,' the union's president, Francois Peyrony, said.
The third group involved in the lawsuit, the Societe des Gens de Lettres, represents authors. They all demand the 'complete removal' of data directories Meta created without authorization to to train its AI model.
Under the European Union's sweeping Artificial Intelligence Act, generative AI systems must comply with the 27-nation bloc's copyright law and be transparent about the material they used for training.
It's the latest example of the clash between the creative and publishing industries and tech companies over data and copyright.
British musicians released a silent album last month to protest the U.K. government's proposed changes to artificial intelligence laws that artists fear will erode their creative control.
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It can be aspirational to look at the richest people in the world and study the background, techniques and tendencies that characterize their journey. By analyzing their wealth-building traits and areas they have invested in, you can perhaps start applying their business acumen to your everyday life. Check Out: For You: These founders, leaders and visionaries are individuals with a unique story behind their success that allowed them to amass vast amounts of wealth. Here's a look at the top 10 richest people in the world (as of June 1, 2025: Elon Musk: $394 billion Mark Zuckerberg: $241 billion Jeff Bezos: $228 billion Larry Ellison: $213 billion Warren Buffett: $154 billion Larry Page: $146 billion Bernard Arnault and family: $142 billion Sergey Brin: $138 billion Steve Ballmer: $135 billion Amancio Ortega: $125 billion Here's an even closer look at how the world's 10 richest people on Forbes' Billionaires List got to where they are. Elon Musk has a net worth of $394 billion. Age: 53 Nationality: South Africa Companies: Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink, PayPal, X (formerly Twitter) Industry: Technology Quote: 'I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary.' Elon Musk founded Tesla and still holds about 12.8% of the company between stock and options. However, Musk has long been occupied with several other well-known companies and had his roots within a group known as the 'PayPal Mafia.' This consisted of serial entrepreneurs and angel investors who made up PayPal's alumni and have been extremely successful in their own right. Musk may be the richest man in the world, but he doesn't want to stop there. Since October 2022, he's owned the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. He also owns Neuralink and The Boring Company and is the founder and CEO of SpaceX. Though he had recently aligned with America's political right-wing, publicly and financially supporting Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and serving as Senior Advisor to President Trump via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he has recently had a falling out with The White House and it's unclear what political moves he'll make next. Read Next: Mark Zuckerberg has a net worth of $241 billion. Age: 41 Nationality: USA Company: Meta Industry: Technology Quote: 'In a world that's changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.' The youngest on this list is Mark Zuckerberg, who is most notable for the creation of Facebook, the social media platform he founded in 2004 while a student at Harvard and that currently has over 2 billion active daily users. Facebook's parent company is Meta Platforms, which encompasses a variety of products and services, such as the VR headset Meta Quest, WhatsApp and Instagram. Microsoft acquired a 1.6% percent stake in Facebook for $240 million, followed by Digital Sky Technologies, which gained a 1.96% share worth $200 million. Jeff Bezos has a net worth of $228 billion. Age: 61 Nationality: USA Company: Amazon, The Washington Post Industry: E-commerce and technology Quote: 'A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn a reputation by trying to do hard things well.' At 30 years old, Jeff Bezos left the finance industry to start a business that many saw as foolish — buying and selling books online. That little company that could is known today as Amazon, and it reached a value of more than $1 trillion before dropping into the billion-dollar range. Bezos is credited for pioneering the e-commerce landscape, which has become one of the largest industries in the world. Following his tremendous success, Bezos stepped away from the company but still is a top stakeholder in it. He has gone on to focus his efforts on Blue Origin, a suborbital space flight company to preserve Earth by colonizing space. The space race among the richest people in the world continues. Larry Ellison has a net worth of $213 billion. Age: 80 Nationality: USA Company: Oracle Industry: Technology and software Quote: 'Great achievers are driven, not so much by the pursuit of success, but by the fear of failure.' Like many others on this list, Ellison can attribute his great fortune to the rise of technology. Having founded Oracle in 1977 after dropping out of college, he grew the company from its startup phase to one of the largest software and database companies in the world. Oracle now has a market capitalization of $500 billion, and Ellison has retained a stake of over 35% to date. Ellison made his fortune, but thanks to substantial investments he made in Tesla before its meteoric rise, he generated a net gain of more than 1,000% on his capital. He joined Tesla's board of directors in 2018; however, Tesla announced in June 2022 that Ellison would step down. He still holds a stake in Tesla. Warren Buffett has a net worth of $154 billion. Age: 94 Nationality: USA Company: Berkshire Hathaway Industry: Financial, insurance, diversified Quote: 'Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.' Nicknamed 'The Oracle of Omaha,' Buffett is regarded as the greatest investor of all time. His holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns dozens of businesses, including Geico Auto Insurance, Kraft Heinz and Fruit of the Loom. It also manages a portfolio of investments that include large positions in Apple stock and several bank stocks. Buffett has long spoken about the benefits of index funds and long-term investing that have helped him accumulate his fortune. Larry Page has a net worth of $146 billion. Age: 52 Nationality: USA Company: Google Industry: Technology and advertising Quote: 'Good ideas are always crazy until they're not.' Larry Page co-founded Google in 1998 and was CEO until 2001. He returned as CEO from 2011 to 2015 and remains a board member and majority shareholder. Google falls under the umbrella of Alphabet, the tech conglomerate holding company that owns YouTube, Google Play, Android, Fitbit, Mandiant, Looker and Nest. Google first built its search engine but repeatedly redefined technology with developments in GPS mapping and translation. This, in turn, led to the creation of one of the largest platforms for advertising in the world — to the good fortune of Page. Bernard Arnault has a net worth of $142 billion. Age: 76 Nationality: France Company: LVMH Industry: Fashion and hospitality Quote: 'Money is just a consequence. I always say to my team, don't worry too much about profitability. If you do your job well, the profitability will come.' Bernard Arnault amassed his fortune in the luxury goods industry with the ownership of world-renowned brands such as Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior. By targeting wealthy demographics — and, according to CNBC, maintaining a roughly 50% stake in his company, LVMH — he has climbed his way to being one of the top 10 richest people in the world. Arnault's luxury fashion empire spans over 70 brands, which he manages with his siblings. In 2021, Tiffany & Co. was added to the panel for $15.8 billion, which was estimated to be the largest acquisition of all time in luxury fashion. Not limited to just fashion, Arnault also owns several luxury hotels and cruise lines that have only added to his wealth over the years. Sergey Brin has a net worth of $138 billion. Age: 51 Nationality: Russia Company: Google Industry: Technology and advertising Quote: 'Solving big problems is easier than solving little problems.' Brin, along with Larry Page, co-founded Google. So it's no surprise he also made it onto the list of the richest people in the world. The pair met at Stanford University before starting their venture, and just like Page, Brin continues to hold an active role as a board member with a similar stake. More recently, Brin has set up Bayshore Capital Management in Singapore, a region ripe for investment with favorable tax legislation to manage his wealth. Steve Ballmer has a net worth of $136 billion. Age: 69 Nationality: USA Company: Microsoft Industry: Technology Quote: 'Great companies in the way they work, start with great leaders.' As the former CEO of Microsoft, Ballmer oversaw the world's largest software developer until he stepped down in 2014. As Ballmer still maintains 4% ownership of Microsoft, he is its largest individual shareholder. Ballmer also bought the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team in a deal valued at $2 billion. The team is now worth a whopping $5.5 billion. Amancio Ortega has a net worth of $125 billion. Age: 89 Nationality: Spain Company: Zara Industry: Fashion and retail. Quote: 'In the street, I only want to be recognized by my family, my friends and people I work with.' Ortega created his empire of billions by co-founding the retail juggernaut Inditex in 1975, focusing upon high-style designs that were still affordable. This led to the formation of his primary fashion brand, Zara. Through Inidex, Zara was established worldwide as a go-to fashion brand. Further, Ortega expanded his wealth significantly with extensive real estate investments throughout such major cities as London and New York, multiplying his wealth several times over. Daria Uhlig, Caitlyn Moorhead, Cynthia Measom, Melanie Grafil, Amber Barkley and T. Woods contributed to the reporting for this article. Data was compiled on June 10, 2025, and is subject to change. 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