Hollywood backs New York Times in AI copyright battle against OpenAI, Microsoft

Unions, talent agencies and stars including Madonna and Anne Hathaway filed amicus briefs opposing the AI firms' fair use defense The New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft just picked up a supporting cast. A coalition representing creative talent across music, film, TV, performing arts and creative writing has filed amicus briefs siding with the Times. Who showed up, and what they said Several of these briefs landed on or around October 29 and 30, 2026. One was a 31-page brief from the Human Consent Foundation. Talent agency WME submitted a separate filing of its own. The names attached carry real wattage. The coalition includes Madonna, Anne Hathaway and Emma Thompson, along with the Stan Lee Foundation. The labor side came in force too. SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) filed a joint brief on October 29, 2026. Their argument is pointed. The unions contend that a broad fair use ruling would effectively wipe out the AI-related labor agreements they recently negotiated. The fair use fight at the center The Times filed suit in December 2023. It alleges OpenAI and Microsoft used millions of its articles without ...