Hachette v. Google (Gemini AI copyright)
Hachette Book Group et al. v. Google LLC — Gemini AI Training Copyright Class Action (S.D.N.Y. 2026)
United States · Hachette Book Group Inc. et al. v. Google LLC, No. 1:26-cv-05870 (S.D.N.Y., filed July 10, 2026)
- Status
- Blocked / in litigation
- Took effect
- July 10, 2026
- Applies to
- Google LLC (defendant)
- Enforced by
- Private litigation — U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Hachette Book Group, Cengage Learning, Elsevier, and author Scott Turow filed a copyright class action against Google in the Southern District of New York on July 10, 2026 (No. 1:26-cv-05870), alleging Google used millions of copyrighted books and academic journal articles without authorization to train its Gemini AI models. The complaint alleges Google misused works supplied for Google Books 'snippet' access to copy full texts for AI training, also sourcing material from pirate websites. An internal Google document cited in the complaint estimates potential copyright exposure of $10 billion to $100 billion. The case is distinct from (and does not overlap with) the existing NYT v. OpenAI and Authors Guild v. OpenAI suits.
Who is protected: Book authors and academic publishers whose copyrighted works were allegedly used without authorization to train Google's Gemini AI
Legal detail
Hachette Book Group Inc. et al. v. Google LLC, No. 1:26-cv-05870 (S.D.N.Y., filed July 10, 2026). Plaintiffs: Hachette Book Group Inc., Cengage Learning Inc., Elsevier Inc., Scott Turow (author), S.C.R.I.B.E. Inc. (Turow's company); proposed class of similarly situated authors and publishers. Defendant: Google LLC. Claims: (1) Willful copyright infringement, 17 U.S.C. § 106 — Google copied millions of books and journal articles from Google Books/Play (where publishers supplied works for limited 'snippet' use), pirate datasets, and paywalled academic platforms to train Gemini AI models without authorization; (2) DMCA § 1202 (17 U.S.C. § 1202) — Google stripped or altered copyright management information (CMI) from works to conceal unauthorized AI-training use. Relief sought: statutory copyright damages, permanent injunction against further infringement, destruction of all unauthorized training copies. Internal Google document cited in complaint estimates potential liability at $10 billion to $100 billion. Publishers' Association (AAP) filed a joint press release.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | United States |
|---|---|
| Level | Federal |
| Enacted | July 10, 2026 |
| Citation | Hachette Book Group Inc. et al. v. Google LLC, No. 1:26-cv-05870 (S.D.N.Y., filed July 10, 2026) |
| Private right of action | Yes, individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Statutory copyright damages per work; actual damages; attorney's fees; permanent injunction; destruction of unauthorized training copies sought |
| Topics | copyright and training data · AI disclosure and transparency |
| Legal analysis | Publishers and Authors File Class Action Lawsuit Against Google for Willful Copyright Infringement to Develop Gemini AI Models — Hachette Book Group |
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