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Axel Scheffler, illustrator of "The Gruffalo," has said he is seriously assessing whether to file a lawsuit over AI reproducing his characters and artistic style, and has contacted German lawyers, but has not yet disclosed the names of the companies he intends to sue. He believes EU regulations are friendlier to creators, and is therefore considering suing in Germany. Lawyer Nick Buckland noted that Germany already has a precedent in which a music copyright collective management organization won its case, but generative AI defends itself on the grounds that it trains rather than directly copies, so proving the case remains difficult. The report also mentioned that OpenAI has already been sued in Germany by Penguin Random House and illustrator Ingo Siegner, and the Munich Regional Court will rule in spring 2027. There has been no further progress so far.
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Oct 30
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Axel Scheffler, illustrator of "The Gruffalo," considers suing AI companies
Axel Scheffler, illustrator of "The Gruffalo," said he has contacted German lawyers and is seriously assessing whether to file a lawsuit over AI reproducing his characters and style, but has not yet disclosed the name of the company he plans to sue. He believes EU regulations are friendlier to creators, and is therefore considering suing in Germany; lawyer Nick Buckland noted that Germany already has a precedent in which a music copyright collective management organization won its case, but generative AI defends itself on the grounds that it trains on works rather than directly copying them, so proving the case remains difficult. OpenAI has already been sued in Germany by Penguin Random House and illustrator Ingo Siegner, and the Munich Regional Court will rule in spring 2027.