Publishers seek safeguards over suspected AI book-buying spree

Korean publishers are seeking stronger copyright protections and compensation as suspected AI-related bulk book purchase requests raise concerns about the use of books for training. Kyobo Book Centre said 10 overseas companies had sought copies of roughly 100,000 titles each since early this year, and it declined the requests because it could not rule out AI training use. The Korean Publishers Association is surveying the industry, while publishing groups are calling for coordinated action, compensation arrangements and legislation. Publishers say limited information about training data makes it difficult to negotiate licenses or prove suspected infringement.

Kyobo said some companies described themselves as book wholesalers but identified data-related companies as the final recipients of the books.

Yes24 reportedly received an inquiry in late August from a U.S. distributor seeking used books in bulk, but discussions ended after the distributor stopped responding.

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea said it identified 21 books by Korean authors on a compensation eligibility list connected to a U.S. copyright settlement involving Anthropic.

As of Wednesday, an appeal by the Korean Publishers Society had been joined by more than 240 publishers and organizations and 702 authors, translators, illustrators and publishing professionals.

Park Jung-in, a copyright specialist and professor at Duksung Women’s University’s AI DynaInfo institute, said the information gap makes it difficult for rights holders to negotiate licensing terms or prove suspected infringement.

Published Oct 22, 2026 7:00 am KST

A visitor browses books at the Gwanghwamun branch of Kyobo Book Centre in Jongno District, Seoul, March 8. Newsis

Korean publishers are calling for stronger copyright protections and compensation as bulk book purchase requests suspected of being linked to artificial intelligence (AI) training raise concerns over intellectual property theft.

Publishing groups are investigating suspicious orders and seeking a coordinated response. However, authors and publishers face a fundamental obstacle: they often cannot know for sure whether their books are being used to train AI systems.

Kyobo Book Centre, a bookstore chain in Korea, said on Wednesday that 10 overseas companies, including businesses in the United States and Britain, had approached it since early this year, each seeking only one copy of roughly 100,000 titles.

“Many introduced themselves as book wholesalers,” a Kyobo official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency Tuesday. The official added that some denied an AI training purpose but identified data-related companies as the final recipients.

The bookseller declined the request because it could not rule out the use of AI training.

Yes24, another bookstore, also reportedly received an inquiry from a U.S. distributor in late August about buying used books in bulk. The two sides held one meeting, but discussions stopped after the distributor ceased responding.

Last week, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea said it notified Korean authors after identifying 21 of their books on a compensation eligibility list associated with a U.S. copyright settlement involving Anthropic.

The AI company faces a class-action lawsuit by authors over allegations that it illegally downloaded copyrighted works for model training.

In Japan, bulk purchases of secondhand books on philosophy, history and medicine have also fueled suspicions of AI developers acquiring material for scanning.

Visitor browse books at the Gwanghwamun branch of Kyobo Book Centre in Jongno District, Seoul, Jan. 7. Newsis

This week, the Korean Publishers Association has begun surveying bookstores, distributors, secondhand booksellers and publishers about potentially AI-related bulk orders.

An association official said publishing organizations should form a joint body after the survey that will aim at establishing compensation arrangements and legislation.

The Korean Publishers Society, meanwhile, issued an appeal demanding fair compensation when publications are used for AI training. Over 240 publishers and organizations, along with 702 authors, translators and illustrators and publishing professionals, joined the appeal as of Wednesday.

Cho Han-na, head of publisher Prunsoop, said individual rights holders could not effectively confront large overseas technology companies alone.

Publishers also argue they lack information about where AI companies obtain book content and how they use it.

Park Jung-in, a copyright specialist and professor at Duksung Women’s University’s AI DynaInfo institute, said that information gap makes it difficult to negotiate licensing terms or prove suspected infringement.

“The core problem is a structure in which rights exist but are difficult to exercise in practice,” Park said, calling for procedures that would allow rights holders to check the sources and use of training data.

由于疑似与人工智能相关的批量购书请求引发了人们对书籍被用于人工智能训练的担忧，韩国出版商正在寻求更强有力的版权保护和赔偿。教保图书中心表示，自今年年初以来，已有10家海外公司分别索要约10万册图书，但由于无法排除人工智能训练的可能性，教保拒绝了这些请求。韩国出版协会正在对业内情况进行调查，而出版团体则呼吁采取协调一致的行动，制定赔偿方案和相关立法。出版商表示，由于缺乏关于训练数据的信息，难以就许可事宜进行谈判，也难以证明涉嫌侵权行为。

教保表示，一些公司自称是图书批发商，但最终却将图书的接收方认定为数据相关公司。

据报道，Yes24 在 8 月下旬收到一家美国经销商的询价，希望批量采购二手书，但之后该经销商停止了回应，双方的讨论就此结束。

韩国文学翻译院表示，他们已确定有 21 部韩国作家的作品被列入与美国 Anthropic 公司版权和解相关的赔偿资格名单中。

截至周三，韩国出版协会的呼吁已得到 240 多家出版社和机构以及 702 位作者、翻译家、插画家和出版专业人士的支持。

德成女子大学人工智能动态信息研究所的版权专家兼教授朴正仁表示，信息鸿沟使得权利持有人难以协商许可条款或证明涉嫌侵权行为。

发布于2026年10月22日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

3月8日，一名顾客在首尔钟路区教保书店光化门分店浏览书籍。（Newsis）

韩国出版商呼吁加强版权保护和赔偿，因为有传言称批量购书请求与人工智能 (AI) 训练有关，这引发了人们对知识产权盗窃的担忧。

出版集团正在调查可疑订单，并寻求协调一致的应对措施。然而，作者和出版商面临着一个根本性的障碍：他们往往无法确定自己的书籍是否被用于训练人工智能系统。

韩国连锁书店教保书店周三表示，今年年初以来，已有 10 家海外公司（包括美国和英国的公司）与他们接洽，每家公司都只想要大约 10 万种图书中的一本。

据韩联社周二报道，教保出版社一位官员表示：“许多人自称是图书批发商。”该官员补充说，一些人否认数据用于人工智能训练，但承认最终接收方是数据相关公司。

书商拒绝了这一请求，因为它无法排除使用人工智能训练的可能性。

据报道，另一家书店Yes24也在8月下旬收到一家美国经销商的询价，询问能否批量购买二手书。双方举行了一次会议，但之后经销商停止了回复，谈判也就此终止。

上周，韩国文学翻译院表示，在与美国 Anthropic 公司相关的版权和解协议的赔偿资格名单中，他们发现了 21 部韩国作品，并已通知了这些韩国作家。

这家人工智能公司因涉嫌非法下载受版权保护的作品用于模型训练而面临作者提起的集体诉讼。

在日本，大量购买哲学、历史和医学类二手书籍也加剧了人们对人工智能开发者获取资料进行扫描的怀疑。

1月7日，一位顾客在首尔钟路区教保书店光化门分店浏览书籍。（Newsis）

本周，韩国出版商协会开始对书店、分销商、二手书商和出版商进行调查，了解可能与人工智能相关的批量订单情况。

一位协会官员表示，调查结束后，出版机构应该成立一个联合机构，旨在制定补偿安排和相关法律。

与此同时，韩国出版协会发出呼吁，要求在出版物被用于人工智能训练时给予公平补偿。截至周三，已有超过240家出版社和机构，以及702名作者、译者、插画家和出版业从业人员加入了这项呼吁。

Prunsoop出版社社长赵汉娜表示，单个版权所有者无法有效地独自对抗大型海外科技公司。

出版商还辩称，他们缺乏关于人工智能公司从哪里获取图书内容以及如何使用这些信息。

德成女子大学人工智能动态信息研究所的版权专家兼教授朴正仁表示，信息鸿沟使得协商许可条款或证明涉嫌侵权行为变得困难。

“核心问题在于权利虽然存在，但在实践中却难以行使，”朴先生说，他呼吁制定相关程序，允许权利持有人检查训练数据的来源和使用情况。