Mark Price, former managing director of Waitrose, has been advised that there are viable legal grounds to pursue Meta for the alleged unauthorized use of his books in training artificial intelligence (AI) models. This revelation follows Price’s formal communication with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, wherein he threatens legal action, citing that four of his works were exploited for Meta’s commercial gain.

Allegations of Unauthorized Use

Price has stated he consulted legal counsel, which indicated two possible avenues for authors to seek compensation if their works were utilized to train Meta’s AI, specifically the Llama model, via the LibGen shadow library. According to a Meta spokesperson, the company maintains that its practices align with existing laws surrounding intellectual property rights.

Price underlined the importance of establishing whether these books had been processed within the UK, as this could determine if a legal case could be effectively pursued. In particular, he is examining if the outputs generated by Meta’s Llama are strikingly similar to the original texts from which they were derived.

Ongoing Legal Actions and Collective Efforts

Legal actions against Meta have also been initiated by authors in the United States, Northern Ireland, and France regarding the unauthorized use of their copyrighted materials. Price awaits the outcomes of these ongoing cases for further context. Notably, Northern Irish author Richard O’Rawe’s legal representation claims substantial evidence points to the development of Meta’s AI models in the UK and Ireland.

Price’s legal team continues to gather evidence, including inquiries into how closely the AI model’s outputs resemble the original works. He expressed concern that if the Llama model closely mirrors his written content, it poses a serious copyright infringement issue.

Community Response and Support

In light of the situation, Price is urging fellow authors to join the collective effort against Meta. He has already received interest from approximately 100 writers wanting to collaborate in pursuing legal action. Recognizing the financial implications of such a move, Price advocates for a consolidated approach to enhance the chances of success.

Formal Appeal to Meta and Government Officials

In his letter to Zuckerberg, Price inquired about the rationale behind what he perceives as a disregard for property rights, arguing that this could have wider implications for creators in the UK. He has also brought this issue to the attention of prominent UK officials, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other members of parliament, emphasizing the need for robust protections for creative works.

Price’s four books—Happy Economics, Six Steps to Workplace Happiness, The Food Lover’s Handbook, and The Great British Picnic Guide—were specifically cited as being utilized without proper permissions. He highlighted the unique insights within Happy Economics as particularly critical, given the extensive research and commercial value it embodies.

Legislative Context and Future Considerations

The ongoing discussions around the Data (Use and Access) Bill, poised for debate in the UK House of Commons, aim to revise copyright law to increase transparency in how AI companies utilize creative works. This legislative update is seen as vital for providing authors greater clarity and rights concerning their intellectual property.