South Korea’s leading terrestrial broadcasters—KBS, MBC, and SBS—have initiated a copyright lawsuit against Naver, accusing the company of using their news content for generative artificial intelligence (AI) training without authorization.
The lawsuit, submitted on Tuesday, claims that Naver incorporated the broadcasters’ news content into its AI platforms, HyperCLOVA and HyperCLOVA X, without obtaining the necessary consent in advance.
The broadcasters, represented by the Korean Broadcasters Association, accuse Naver of infringing on their intellectual property rights and violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act. They argue that using their copyrighted material for AI development was unauthorized and detrimental to their business interests.
In December 2023, the Korean Broadcasters Association (KBA), representing 39 broadcasters, issued notices to domestic and international IT companies, including Naver, Kakao, and Google Korea, asserting that using news content for AI training requires separate compensation agreements. The KBA emphasized that unauthorized use of such content is strictly prohibited.
The task force formally requested Naver to provide compensation for the use of broadcast news data and implement measures to prevent further copyright violations. However, according to the KBA, Naver did not provide a clear response to these demands and refused to disclose details about the sources and methods used to acquire AI training data.
In light of this, the KBA announced its intention to file lawsuits against other technology firms engaging in similar practices. “Starting with Naver, we will take legal action against other major tech companies that use news data without permission and adopt a firm stance,” the task force said in a statement.
In response, Naver acknowledged the lawsuit through news reports but stated it had not yet reviewed the specifics. The company defended its practices, citing the fair use doctrine for utilizing news content in generative AI training. However, following industry pushback, Naver revised its terms and conditions to cease the unauthorized use of news data and committed to holding public discussions with media stakeholders to resolve the matter.
Separately, the Korean Association of Newspapers has also investigated potential copyright infringements by IT companies. Although it has not yet filed any lawsuits, the association submitted a request to the Fair Trade Commission in late December 2023, urging corrective action against Naver’s alleged unfair use of news content for AI training. The association is exploring various measures to safeguard the rights of its members.
The Korean Broadcasters Association argued that Naver’s use of news content for AI training without prior consent from media outlets constitutes a clear violation of copyright laws. The association has urged the government to include specific provisions in partnership agreements, ensuring fair compensation for media companies whose content is utilized in training generative AI models like HyperCLOVA X.
Furthermore, the association criticized Naver’s refusal to disclose the scope and purpose of news data used for AI learning, calling for government intervention to mandate transparency. It emphasized that such disclosures are essential for calculating appropriate usage fees and ensuring accountability in using news content for AI training.
