Korean Broadcasters Association Expresses Regret Over "Naver's Disparagement of News Copyright Value"

In a lawsuit filed by three terrestrial broadcasters against Naver alleging the unauthorized use of news content for training generative artificial intelligence (AI), Naver claimed that news content cannot be protected under copyright law, prompting the Korean Broadcasters Association to express regret and urge joint action among copyright holders.

On November 5, the 63rd Civil Agreement Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Gyu-young) held the eighth hearing in the case and examined whether news content is eligible for copyright protection.

The court heard arguments from both sides focusing on whether the unauthorized use of news articles for AI constitutes misappropriation of achievements or unauthorized use of data under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, as well as whether it qualifies as fair practice.

The plaintiffs, representing the three terrestrial broadcasters, pointed out, "Using news articles to train generative AI was not foreseeable at the time the terms and conditions were applied," adding, "Nor was any compensation paid for it."

They further argued, "If existing terms and conditions are interpreted as including AI training, it becomes a comprehensive licensing agreement for copyrighted works," adding, "Because such terms are excessively unfavorable to the plaintiffs, they are null and void."

The broadcasters specifically requested, "Considering that significant time, expense, and effort are invested to produce a single article, we ask the court to examine this closely."


In response, Defendant Naver countered, "The plaintiffs' articles are merely current affairs reporting that cannot be protected under copyright law, and it was foreseeable because AlphaGo and ChatGPT had already emerged when the terms were agreed upon."

The Korean Broadcasters Association, an association representing terrestrial broadcasters, stated in a press release, "Naver, the country's largest AI company, is consistently making nonsensical claims that news content is not eligible for copyright protection," adding, "It is deeply regrettable that it has disparaged the copyright value of news content, which is the culmination of decades of sweat and effort by reporters."

It also emphasized, "If Naver's claims are accepted as they are, copyright protection for all news could be denied, so all copyright holders must take strict, joint action."

The court scheduled the next hearing for December 1, and arguments are expected to conclude on that day.

(Photo courtesy of Korean Broadcasters Association, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.