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Major news publishers join SPUR coalition to curb unauthorized AI content use

The New York Times, The Economist, and AFP have joined the SPUR coalition to prevent artificial intelligence developers from using and monetizing publisher content without permission or compensation.

Graphic showing the SPUR logo overlaid on a background of journalists working at computers in an office
Image: @EconomicTimes

The New York Times, The Economist, and Agence France-Presse (AFP) have joined an international publisher coalition aiming to stop artificial intelligence companies from using, monetizing, or training large language models on news content without permission or payment, according to reports from Reuters and the Economic Times.[1][2][3][4][5][6][8][9]

The group, known as the Standards for Publisher Usage Rights (SPUR) coalition, originally launched in February with founding members including the BBC, the Financial Times, and the Associated Press. Alongside the latest entrants, which also include The Atlantic and Brazil's National Association of Newspapers, the alliance has expanded to more than 80 members across more than 20 countries, though earlier dispatches described the new members joining a base of over 40 publishers.[1][2][4][6][7][9]

The move escalates publisher efforts against tech companies after USA Today and its affiliated newspapers sued OpenAI alleging copyright infringement earlier in October. Crypto Briefing reported that the coalition's growth represents a strategic shift toward collective bargaining power that could reshape AI licensing norms and content usage across the industry.[4][7]

Key facts

  • The New York Times, The Economist, and AFP joined the SPUR coalition to stop AI firms from using and monetizing content without permission or payment.
  • SPUR, or Standards for Publisher Usage Rights, launched in February with founding members including the Financial Times, BBC, and Associated Press.
  • With new additions such as The Atlantic and Brazil's National Association of Newspapers, SPUR now represents more than 80 members across over 20 countries.
  • Reuters and the Economic Times initially reported that the three outlets joined more than 40 publishers in the coalition.
  • The coalition expansion follows a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against OpenAI earlier in October by USA Today and several newspapers it owns.
  • Crypto Briefing reported that the coalition's expansion reflects a shift toward collective bargaining to influence global AI licensing norms.

Sources · 6 sources

  1. PO

    Polymarket@PolymarketPost on X ·

    JUST IN: New York Times, The Economist, & AFP join a coalition of over 80 publishers seeking to stop AI companies from using their content without permission or payment.

    Open source
  2. CO

    Cointelegraph@CointelegraphPost on X ·

    🚨 NOW: NYT, The Economist, and AFP have joined a coalition of 80+ publishers working to stop AI companies from using their content without permission or payment. https://t.co/zRo2ybP3GV

    Open source
  3. RE

    Reuters@ReutersPost on X ·

    NYT, Economist among publishers joining coalition to curb unpaid AI use https://t.co/7Xi2oPowFa https://t.co/7Xi2oPowFa

    Open source
  4. ET

    Economic Times@EconomicTimesPost on X ·

    Journalism powerhouses draw the line as AI feeds on newsrooms without paying | The New York Times, Agence France-Presse, and The Economist joined over 40 publishers on Monday in the Standards for Publisher Usage Rights (SPUR) coalition (launched in February and now comprising more than 80 members across 20-plus countries including new entrants The Atlantic and Brazil's National Association of Newspapers alongside founding members Financial Times, BBC, and Associated Press) to escalate legal efforts preventing AI companies from using or monetizing their content without permission to train large language models, coming as USA Today and several newspapers it owns sued OpenAI earlier this month alleging copyright infringement 📑 FULL STORY ➠ https://t.co/0H0AzhliQc #ArtificialIntelligence #Media #Technology #Copyright #OpenAI #Business #Publishing

    Open source
  5. TS

    The Straits Times@straits_timesPost on X ·

    NYT, Economist among publishers joining coalition to curb unpaid AI use https://t.co/DAl1ENRKPj

    Open source
  6. RE

    Reuters@ReutersPost on X ·

    The New York Times, Agence France-Presse and The Economist joined more than 40 publishers in a coalition aimed at preventing AI firms from using or profiting from their content ‌without permission https://t.co/3zgI5wixSz

    Open source
  7. CB

    Crypto BriefingArticle ·

    SPUR coalition adds NYT, Economist and AFP in push for paid AI content use The coalition's growth signifies a shift towards collective bargaining power, potentially reshaping AI content usage and licensing norms globally. The post SPUR coalition adds NYT, Economist and AFP in push for paid AI content use appeared first on Crypto Briefing .

    Open source
  8. TS

    The Straits Times@straits_timesPost on X ·

    NYT, Economist among publishers joining coalition to curb unpaid AI use https://t.co/X2Wd742kpP

    Open source
  9. ET

    Economic Times@EconomicTimesPost on X ·

    NYT, AFP, The Economist join 40+ publishers to stop AI firms monetising content without permission https://t.co/kVFZpUo2iS

    Open source