Source: Bloomberg Law

A group of authors who allege Meta Platforms Inc. used their copyrighted books to train generative AI models failed to get their case fast-tracked to a federal appeals court. Judge Vince Chhabria issued a brief order on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in the San Francisco-based U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denying the authors’ request for an early appeal and saying that the request highlighted “difficult” divides among judges over novel legal questions involving copyright’s fair use doctrine and generative AI.

The order did not resolve the underlying merits of the copyright claims or any fair-use analysis, and the judge indicated the case will reach a final judgment soon, after which the parties can pursue the normal appeals process. The available webpage excerpt is truncated behind a subscription prompt and includes promotional language for the publisher’s paid legal service and standard copyright and terms links; no final appellate ruling, detailed factual findings, or additional plaintiff specifics are present in the accessible text.