{"action":{"id":"google-gemini-authors-copyright-proposed-class-action","slug":"google-gemini-authors-copyright-proposed-class-action","title":"Google Gemini Authors Copyright Proposed Class Action","category":"Technology and Electronics","stage":"filed","tags":{"industry":["Technology and electronics"],"geographic":["Canada-wide"],"eligibilityTrigger":["Created or owned copyrighted work"]},"allegationsSummary":"The lawsuit alleges that Google LLC copied and exploited the written copyrighted works of Canadian writers, without licence or permission, to train its generative AI large language models, including LaMDA, PaLM 2, and Gemini. It claims Google obtained the works by crawling the internet and downloading pirate or shadow libraries such as Z-Library, Library Genesis, OceanofPDF, and Scribd, and through datasets like C4, Books1, and Books2. The claim also says Google circumvented technological protection measures on the works, concealed the conduct, and repeats it each time it trains a new model. These are allegations only, and nothing has been proved in court.","proposedClassDefinition":"The lawsuit proposes a class of all persons resident in Canada who owned the copyright, or derived any right, title or interest by assignment, to works Google used to train its large language models, up to the date the action is certified or another date the court finds appropriate. The class has not been certified, so this definition could change.","whatHappensNext":"The case has been filed in the Federal Court but no certification hearing has been scheduled yet. The next major step is a certification hearing, where the court decides only whether the case may proceed as a class action, not who wins. Timelines are uncertain and cases like this often take years to move forward. There is no claims process at this stage, and one may never open.","caseBackground":"This proposed class action, filed in the Federal Court on May 1, 2026, alleges that Google LLC used the copyrighted written works of Canadian writers without licence or permission to train its generative AI large language models, including the models behind Gemini and related products. The claim says Google gathered the works by crawling the internet, by downloading them from pirate or shadow libraries such as Z-Library, Library Genesis, OceanofPDF, and Scribd, and through training datasets like C4, Books1, and Books2.\n\nThe lawsuit also alleges that Google circumvented technological protection measures on the works, concealed the conduct, and continues to repeat it each time it trains a new model. The plaintiffs seek declarations, injunctions to stop the alleged infringement and the use of the works to train Google's models, and damages. These are untested allegations, and no court has ruled on them.","faqs":[{"answer":"No. The case was only recently filed and has not been certified as a class action, so there is nothing writers or copyright owners need to do at this stage.","question":"Do I need to do anything right now?"},{"answer":"No. The case is at the filing stage, no settlement exists, and no claims process is open. Any compensation would depend on future court decisions or a settlement, neither of which is certain.","question":"Is there any money available to claim now?"},{"answer":"The lawsuit proposes a class of people resident in Canada who owned the copyright, or acquired rights by assignment, to works Google allegedly used to train its large language models. The court has not yet approved this definition, so it could change.","question":"Who could be included if the case goes ahead?"},{"answer":"The Federal Court must first decide whether to certify the case as a class action. Even if it is certified, there would only be a claims process if the case later ends in a settlement or judgment in the class's favour, which may take years and may not happen.","question":"What has to happen before a claims process could open?"},{"answer":"You can follow updates from the court record or from the law firm handling the case, SOTOS LLP. If the case is certified, a formal notice to potential class members would normally follow.","question":"How can I stay informed about the case?"}],"proceedings":{"body":"The court filing behind this proposed class action.","items":[{"id":"6b5f7f456eea20c9","url":"https://www.sotosclassactions.com/current-cases/","court":"Federal Court","firms":[{"name":"Sotos LLP"}],"stage":"filed","caseName":"Catherine McKenzie, Kate Hilton, Ryan North, and Project Sinister Inc. v. Google LLC","dateFiled":"2026-05-01","fileNumber":"T-2212-26","jurisdiction":"Federal Court"}],"heading":"The proceeding"},"plaintiffFirms":[{"name":"Sotos LLP","contacts":[]}],"sourceDocuments":[{"url":"/uploads/4dd71e3a795e6d1dd75fd141-Statement-of-Claim.pdf","title":"Statement of Claim.pdf"}],"filedDate":"2026-05-01","certificationHearingDate":"","optOutDeadline":null,"seriousHarmEnabled":false,"quietPresentation":false,"stageChangedAt":"2026-09-16 01:26:40","lastReviewed":"2026-09-15","outcomeSummary":"","promotedSettlementSlug":"","relatedSlugs":[],"dateAdded":"2026-09-15","lastUpdated":"2026-09-15","languages":["en","fr"]}}