New York publishers sue Google over Gemini training
PUBLISHED Jul 15, 2026, 7:08 AM ET
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A group of major U.S. book publishers and author representatives has filed a class-action lawsuit against Google in New York, alleging the company copied millions of copyrighted books without permission to train its Gemini artificial intelligence models. Filed on a Wednesday in July, the complaint from Hachette Book Group, Cengage Learning, Elsevier, and the Authors Guild claims Gemini’s ability to generate long-form text and books puts it in direct commercial competition with human authors and publishers. The plaintiffs seek substantial damages and an injunction blocking further use of their works, challenging Google’s reliance on fair use arguments for AI training.
By Lauren Mitchell | JQJO News
Timeline of Events
- Earlier this year, Gemini widely deployed globally
- July, Wednesday, publishers file New York lawsuit
- July, Wednesday, complaint alleges mass book copying
- July, Wednesday, plaintiffs seek financial damages
- July, Wednesday, publishers request injunction on training
- Subsequent weeks, Google expected to answer
- Coming months, court to weigh fair-use arguments
- Future ruling could reshape U.S. AI practices
News Intelligence
- This lawsuit could impact your reading habits. If Google's Gemini AI wins, it might mean more AI-generated books. If publishers win, it could limit AI's role in creating content. Keep an eye on your favorite authors' social media for their take.
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