Issue No. 073 · Story 01 · November 4, 2026

The New York Times Sues Brave Over AI Search and Paywalls

The New York Times sued Brave Software in federal court on November 2, alleging that Brave copied Times journalism for its search index and AI answers, sold access to that index, and offered a browser feature that bypasses Times paywalls. The complaint seeks damages and an injunction. As of November 4, no court has ruled on any claim.

§The complaint alleges Ask Brave often includes verbatim text from and detailed summaries of Times articles.
§The Times alleges Brave sells index access to AI companies and that Paywall blocker gives users paywalled Times articles.
§The Times seeks statutory and actual damages, restitution of profits, a permanent injunction, costs and attorneys' fees.

THE TAKEAWAY

The copyright claims address copying for search and AI answers. The paywall claim asks whether Paywall blocker gets around a measure controlling access to copyrighted work, without requiring proof of infringement.

Filing: ESCA Filings

Same issue

Sour Patch Kids Owner Accuses Joyride of Copying Candy Look

On November 2, Mondelez filed a federal trademark complaint against Joyride over its Sour Smacks candy. The complaint alleges that Joyride's 2025 redesign copied the Sour Patch Kids mascot, yellow-and-green packaging and kid-shaped candy, and it seeks an injunction and damages. As of November 4, no court has decided whether Joyride infringed.

Trademark

Runway Loses Bid to Dismiss YouTube Creators' DMCA Claim

On October 30, a federal court denied Runway's bid to dismiss a proposed class action by YouTube creators Random Golf Club and Businessing. The creators allege Runway bypassed YouTube's protections to scrape their videos and train its AI models, violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's anti-circumvention provision. As of November 4, no court has decided whether Runway is liable.

Copyright Office Rejects UPS Shield Registration Requests

On October 30, the Copyright Office Review Board affirmed refusals to register two UPS artworks: a shield titled 3D Eyebrow Design and a version with ups lettering titled 3D Eyebrow Design (Lettered). The Board found their shapes, shading and lettering lacked the original creativity required for registration. Its decision is final agency action.