In a dramatic legal showdown, authors are calling out Meta for allegedly torrenting a massive dataset of pirated books to train its AI models—actions they claim are a clear case of copyright infringement. The lawsuit takes a turn as Meta supposedly tries to downplay its role in file-sharing, even as court records suggest the company deliberately used peer-to-peer (P2P) networks to speed up their AI data collection. In their defense, Meta is adopting what critics have mockingly dubbed the "Bob Dylan defense," referencing the lyric, "Steal a little and they throw you in jail / Steal a lot and they make you king." The authors argue that piracy, especially on the scale Meta allegedly engaged in, can never be fair use. With a court hearing set for May 1, the case raises big questions about AI training, copyright law, and whether tech giants will be held to the same standards as everyone else.

Key Points:

• Meta is accused of torrenting terabytes of pirated books to train its AI, allegedly to speed up downloads after individual book downloads proved too slow.
• Authors argue this is blatant copyright infringement, shifting the focus of the case from whether AI training is fair use to whether downloading pirated books is legal.
• Meta allegedly tried to cover its tracks, using Amazon Web Services and deviating from its usual data collection methods.
• The court will consider the role of “leeching,” with authors claiming that Meta shared pirated books as part of the download process.
• A judge will hear arguments on May 1, and Meta is resisting attempts to introduce more evidence about its downloading methods.
• The so-called “Bob Dylan defense” mocks Meta’s argument, as critics say the tech giant is acting as if large-scale piracy should be treated differently from individual infringement.
• Authors want Mark Zuckerberg deposed, but Meta is only offering lower-level executives as witnesses.
• Meta has not cited any case law where piracy via P2P networks was found to be fair use, putting them in a tough legal position.

With Meta already under fire for its AI practices, this case could set a major precedent for how courts treat internet piracy in the digital age. Will tech giants be held accountable for scraping copyrighted material, or will they once again find a legal loophole? Stay tuned.
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