Chabon et al. v. OpenAI, Inc. et al., 3:23-cv-04625 (N.D. Cal.), now part of MDL No. 3143 (S.D.N.Y.)

Summary

Authors Michael Chabon, David Henry Hwang, Matthew Klam, Rachel Louise Snyder and Ayelet Waldman filed this proposed class action against OpenAI in the Northern District of California on September 8, 2023; other authors, including Ta-Nehisi Coates, Junot Diaz, Andrew Sean Greer, Laura Lippman and Jacqueline Woodson, were later added. They allege that OpenAI copied their books without permission to train the models behind ChatGPT. In February 2024 the court ordered the claims consolidated with Tremblay and Silverman, and on April 3, 2025, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred the case to the Southern District of New York as part of MDL No. 3143. The authors' claims now proceed in the consolidated class case there, where summary judgment motions were filed in September 2026. The claims remain allegations; there has been no settlement.

Key dates

1. September 8, 2023Filed
2. October 16, 2026Checked against sources
3. October 21, 2026Checked against sources

Developments are added when the record is reviewed. Next review: January 15, 2027.

Evidence

Each passage is quoted from its source. The quoted passages are re-checked against the live pages every month.

1. Case 3:23-cv-04625 Document 1 Filed 09/08/23 Page 1 of 24

   Supports: docket number and filing date

   Plaintiffs Michael Chabon, David Henry Hwang, Matthew Klam, Rachel Louise Snyder,

   Supports: original named plaintiffs

   Class Action Complaint, Chabon v. OpenAI, 3:23-cv-04625, ECF 1 U.S. District Court, N.D. Cal. (copy hosted by the Copyright Alliance) Primary source

2. Ta-Nehisi Coates, Plaintiff

   Supports: later-added plaintiffs

   23-4625 – Chabon et al v. OpenAI, Inc. et al GovInfo (U.S. Courts Opinions) Primary source

3. The amended complaint shall consolidate the claims in 23-cv-3223-AMO (Tremblay et al. v.

   Supports: N.D. Cal. consolidation of Tremblay, Chabon and Silverman

   Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part the Motions to Dismiss, Tremblay v. OpenAI, 3:23-cv-03223-AMO, ECF 104 (12 Feb. 2024) U.S. District Court, N.D. Cal. (via CourtListener RECAP) Primary source

4. CHABON, ET AL. v. OPENAI, INC., ET AL., C.A. No. 3:23-04625

   Supports: transfer to MDL No. 3143

   Transfer Order, In re OpenAI, Inc., Copyright Infringement Litigation, MDL No. 3143 (Doc. 85, 3 Apr. 2025) U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation Primary source

5. On Friday, September 4, 2026, the Authors Guild and its co-plaintiffs (the class plaintiffs) filed a motion for summary judgment and supporting brief in their copyright litigation against OpenAI and Microsoft

   Supports: current stage of the consolidated class case

   Authors Guild and Co-Plaintiffs File Motion for Summary Judgment v. OpenAI and Microsoft (5 Sept. 2026) The Authors Guild (plaintiff) Reporting or analysis