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Google's use of press by AI chatbot may infringe copyright rules, EU court adviser says - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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Google's use of press by AI chatbot may infringe copyright rules, EU court adviser says

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on November 3, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: November 3, 2026

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EU Court Adviser: Google AI Chatbot May Infringe Press Copyright Rules

European Court Adviser Weighs In On Google AI and Copyright

BRUSSELS, Nov 3 (Reuters) - An adviser to Europe's highest court said on Tuesday that the use of press publications by Google's artificial intelligence chatbot Gemini may in certain circumstances infringe copyright rules.

Potential Infringement by AI Chatbots

"When an LLM-driven chatbot retrieves a publication from a press publisher's website, reuses that publication to generate an answer, and provides that answer to the user, the press publisher's right may be infringed in certain circumstances," Advocate General Maciej Szpunar said.

Distinction Between Facts and Expression

Copyright rules do not protect the "mere facts" reported by press publications, but "only the specific form of expression", he added.

Permitted Uses for AI Training

On the other hand, he said the use of material protected by copyright to train large language models is "freely permitted under the text and data mining exception."

Background of the Case

Case Brought by Like Company

Szpunar was advising the court in a case brought by Hungarian website operator Like Company against Google.

Role of Advocate-General Opinions

Opinions of the advocate-general are usually followed by the court's judges.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Inti Landauro, editing by Bart Meijer)

Key Takeaways

  • Reuse of press content in AI chatbot outputs risks infringing the press publishers’ copyright when it reproduces their expressive form—not just facts.
  • Training large language models with press materials is likely lawful under the EU text‑and‑data‑mining (TDM) exception, provided the content was lawfully accessed and not explicitly reserved.
  • This opinion, in the context of the Like Company v. Google (C‑250/25) case, is advisory but highly influential and expected to guide the Court of Justice of the EU’s final judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How might Google's AI chatbot infringe copyright rules?
If Gemini retrieves and reuses press content to generate user answers, press publishers’ rights may be infringed in certain cases.
Are facts reported by press publications protected by copyright?
No, copyright protects only the specific form of expression, not the mere facts reported in press publications.
Is using copyrighted material for AI training allowed in the EU?
Yes, using material protected by copyright to train large language models is permitted under the text and data mining exception.
Whose advice is the EU court considering regarding Google’s AI?
The advice comes from Advocate General Maciej Szpunar, whose opinions are usually followed by the court’s judges.
What is the legal case about?
Hungarian website operator Like Company brought the case against Google concerning copyright and AI chatbot usage of press content.

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