December 9, 2025

In what is shaping up to be a landmark legal confrontation, Thomson Reuters has gained substantial support from a broad spectrum of industries in its copyright infringement case against ROSS Intelligence, a legal research technology firm. Among the supporters are film studios, prominent news media outlets, and notably, Thomson Reuters’ own industry rival, LexisNexis. This eclectic coalition has come together to file a total of nine amicus briefs, which were recently detailed in a report by Above the Law.
The case centers around allegations that ROSS Intelligence unlawfully used Thomson Reuters' extensive legal database to train its own artificial intelligence systems. Thomson Reuters asserts that this not only violates their copyright but also undermines the integrity and investment in creating and maintaining such comprehensive informational resources.
Film studios and news media organizations have a vested interest in the outcome of this case, as it could set significant precedents for the protection of digital content against unauthorized scraping and use. This has broader implications for their operations, especially concerning how they safeguard their own creative and journalistic content.
LexisNexis, a direct competitor of Thomson Reuters in the legal information services market, has also thrown its support behind the plaintiff. This move underscores the case's importance to the industry at large, where there is a shared interest in maintaining the commercial value and exclusivity of proprietary databases.
Legal experts are keenly watching the case, as it may influence future technology development and data handling practices in various sectors. The support from such diverse industries highlights the widespread concern about the potential repercussions of the court’s decision on copyright law, particularly in the age of digital information and artificial intelligence.
The court’s decision could either reinforce or reshape the boundaries of copyright law, with significant implications for how data is used to fuel technological advancements across different fields. As the legal battle unfolds, the stakes are high not only for Thomson Reuters and ROSS but also for the broader landscape of intellectual property rights in the digital age.