Authors Seek Meta's Torrent Client Logs and Seeding Data in AI Piracy Probe

Re:Authors Seek Meta's Torrent Client Logs and Seeding Data ... by Marsymars on Monday January 20, 2025 @07:27PM (#42774843)

> I find it highly implausible that Meta doesn't have the resources to obtain these legally. They could have reached out to a publisher and ask to purchase ebooks in bulk - and if that publisher says no, tough shit

They could also simply buy controlling stakes in publishers. For scale comparison, Meta is spending upwards $30B per year on AI, and the recent sale of Simon & Schuster that didn't go through was for a mere $2.2B.

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Re:Authors Seek Meta's Torrent Client Logs and Seeding Data ... by michaelt on Monday January 20, 2025 @08:08PM (#42775173)

I don't think it would actually be that simple.

Surely the author only licenses the copyright to the publisher for hardback, paperback and ebook, with an agreed-upon royalty rate?

And if someone wants the rights for some other purpose, like translation or making a film or producing merchandise, they have to go to the author and negotiate additional rights?

Meta giving a few billion to authors would probably mend a lot of hearts, though.

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