Thomson Reuters is the parent company of Reuters.
Thomson Reuters filed the suit in 2020, alleging that Ross Intelligence, which competed in the legal research market at the time, copied material from Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw platform to train Ross Intelligence’s competing AI-based legal search engine, according to the report.
On Tuesday, the appeals court rejected Ross Intelligence’s argument that its search engine made fair use of the material from Westlaw, the report said. The court’s reasoning for its decision is sealed.
Ross Intelligence did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.
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The Reuters report described the court’s decision as “a first-of-its-kind ruling by a U.S. appeals court in a wave of high-stakes copyright cases over AI training.”
A Thomson Reuters spokesperson said in the report that the company “firmly believes that respecting copyright is essential for fostering innovation while protecting the intellectual property that fuels fiduciary-grade AI solutions.”
PYMNTS reported in July that in decisions in other, separate copyright cases involving AI training, courts have split on where AI liability should start. More cases are pending in 2026.
Ross said in a December 2020 announcement that it was shutting down its platform in January 2021 due to the cost of litigation in the lawsuit brought by Thomson Reuters.
In September 2024, a federal judge dismissed antitrust claims brought by Ross Intelligence against Thomson Reuters, marking the conclusion of a major counterclaim in the legal battle between the two companies.
Ross Intelligence had accused Thomson Reuters of violating federal antitrust law by unlawfully tying its Westlaw search tool to its public law database to maintain dominance in the legal research market. The company argued that Thomson Reuters sold its Westlaw case law database only in combination with its search tools, thus preventing consumers from purchasing the products separately.
In the September 2024 ruling, a judge concluded that Ross Intelligence failed to provide adequate evidence to support its antitrust accusations.
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