Professors File Class Action
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple in a California federal court. Neuroscientists Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik, professors at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, New York, claim that the company unlawfully used copyrighted books to train its Apple Intelligence AI model.
Use of “Shadow Libraries”
The complaint alleges that Apple relied on illegal “shadow libraries” containing thousands of pirated books and other copyright-infringing materials scraped from the internet. Among them were the professors’ own works:
- Champions of Illusion: The Science Behind Mind-Boggling Images and Mystifying Brain Puzzles
- Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals About Our Everyday Deceptions
Rising Lawsuits Against Tech Companies
This case adds to the growing wave of copyright lawsuits against tech companies over AI training. Authors, media outlets, and music labels have already brought similar claims against OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta. Recently, Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle a lawsuit related to its AI chatbot Claude.
Apple’s Market Value Surge
Earlier this year, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence, a package of AI-powered features for iOS devices. According to the lawsuit, the company’s market value surged by more than $200 billion the day after the launch—described as “the most profitable day in the company’s history.”
So far, neither Apple nor the professors and their attorney have issued any public comment on the case.
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Professors’ Demands
In their lawsuit, the professors are seeking:
- Unspecified monetary damages
- A court order preventing Apple from further misuse of copyrighted works