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NYT demands Brave shut down its paywall blocker and end deals with AI firms
The New York Times and other newspaper companies have sued Brave Software, alleging that its browser bypasses paywalls and that its search products supply publishers’ work to AI firms without permission. The case matters because it challenges how browser features and search indexes can use protected journalism, and asks a court to stop the alleged practices.
The lawsuit names Anthropic, Perplexity, Mistral, xAI and Cohere as companies that use Brave’s search index, and estimates Brave has earned more than $100 million from copying and reselling publishers’ work. It alleges copyright infringement and circumvention of access controls, and seeks an injunction, damages and repayment of profits. The New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel companies filed a similar suit; Brave had not responded at the time of the article.
In short
- The New York Times is suing Brave over alleged paywall bypassing and copyright infringement.
- The suit estimates Brave earned more than $100 million from publishers’ work.
- Newspaper groups seek an injunction and financial damages.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Publishers can argue that journalism requires substantial investment, and that bypassing paywalls or supplying articles to AI firms without permission allows others to benefit from that work without paying or negotiating terms. They may see legal limits and compensation as necessary to protect copyright, sustain reporting and let publishers control how their material is used.
The case against
Brave and its supporters could argue that browsers should let users control how they access the web, and that tools which alter or remove paywall prompts can be legitimate features rather than unlawful circumvention. They may also contend that search indexing and AI-related services can help people find and use information, and that broad restrictions or licensing demands could entrench large publishers’ control over access to knowledge; the legal merits remain for the court to decide.
Explained simply
Brave Software makes a web browser and search products. Its browser includes tools that can change how pages are displayed, while its search index helps people find information online.
Newspapers such as The New York Times, the New York Daily News, the Chicago Tribune and the Orlando Sentinel produce journalism that is often available only to paying readers. AI companies also use large collections of online material to develop and operate their services, making questions about permission and payment relevant to both publishers and technology firms.
The dispute centres on who may copy or alter access to this material, and under what conditions. The court case could affect how browsers and search services handle paywalls and publishers’ work, as well as how that work is supplied to AI companies.