Penguin Random House Books Prohibit AI Training Use

Penguin Random House, a major book publisher, is taking a definitive stand on the use of its content for AI training by introducing a new clause in the copyright pages of both new and reprinted books. The clause states, “No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems,” as reported by The Bookseller and noted by Gizmodo.

This clause further specifies that Penguin Random House “expressly reserves this work from the text and data mining exception” in accordance with European Union laws. The Bookseller indicates that Penguin Random House might be the first leading publisher to incorporate AI considerations into its copyright page.

While the updated copyright page may serve as a cautionary measure, it does not directly influence existing copyright law. This inclusion is likened to a robots.txt file on websites, which is a common non-legal request for AI companies and others to refrain from scraping content. Regardless of its presence on a book’s front page, copyright protections remain intact, and defenses such as fair use apply when relevant, irrespective of the document’s inclusion.

Inquiries to Penguin Random House for additional information have yet to receive a response, as stated by The Verge.

In August, Penguin Random House issued a statement affirming its commitment to “vigorously defend the intellectual property that belongs to our authors and artists.” This move contrasts with the approach of some academic publishers like Wiley, Oxford University Press, and Taylor & Francis, who have already entered into AI training partnerships.

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