Carlsen Verlag sues OpenAI for copyright infringement of "Das NEINhorn"
Carlsen Verlag, author Marc-Uwe Kling, and illustrator Astrid Henn sued OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT reproduces their copyrighted children's book "Das NEINhorn" so closely that the originals were likely unlawfully used to train the AI system. The lawsuit claims ChatGPT generates nearly identical stories and illustrations, and even produces complete print templates mimicking the publisher's materials.
What happened
Carlsen Verlag filed a lawsuit against OpenAI's Irish subsidiary, alleging that ChatGPT reproduces copyrighted content from the children's book series "Das NEINhorn" by Marc-Uwe Kling and Astrid Henn, first published in 2019.
According to Carlsen, simple prompts in ChatGPT generate stories that closely match the original work's creative elements, with illustrations barely distinguishable from originals. ChatGPT also reportedly generates complete print templates including cover design, impressum, false order numbers, and publisher logos.
Reported impact
Carlsen alleges the originalworks' detailed reproduction indicates they were unlawfully used to train OpenAI's language and image models through memorization.
Index analysis
Author Marc-Uwe Kling stated that individuals face penalties for downloading a single film, book, or audiobook illegally, yet questioned why OpenAI can copy all art and culture worldwide without consequence.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.