- Educational tech firm Chegg sues Google over its “AI Overviews,” claiming they use Chegg’s content without permission.
- Chegg argues Google is abusing its monopoly power, forcing companies to supply content for AI-generated answers.
- The lawsuit alleges Google’s actions violate antitrust laws and harm competition.
- Chegg’s legal strategy focuses on antitrust rather than copyright infringement.
Educational technology company Chegg has filed a lawsuit against Google in federal court, accusing the search engine giant of damaging its traffic and revenue through its “AI Overviews” feature. Chegg asserts that Google is “reaping the financial benefits of Chegg’s content without having to spend a dime” by incorporating its educational materials into AI-generated answers that appear at the top of search results.
Unlike previous lawsuits from publishers like The New York Times, which focused on copyright infringement related to training large language models (LLMs), Chegg’s lawsuit centers on antitrust violations. The company alleges that Google is leveraging its monopoly position to compel companies to provide content for its “AI Overviews.” According to Chegg, refusing to do so effectively excludes them from Google Search results.
Chegg provided a screenshot within their court filings, demonstrating a Google AI Overview that incorporates details from Chegg’s website without proper attribution. While the original Chegg page is still present in the search results, it is positioned lower.
In response, a Google spokesperson told CNBC, “Every day, Google sends billions of clicks to sites across the web, and AI Overviews send traffic to a greater diversity of sites.” Google intends to defend itself against the lawsuit.
Chegg’s lawsuit claims that Google’s actions constitute “a form of unlawful reciprocal dealing that harms competition in violation of the Sherman Act.” The company cites a previous federal judge’s ruling that recognized Google as a monopolist in search. Chegg argues that its business is particularly vulnerable because its “breadth, depth, quality and volume of Chegg’s educational content holds enormous value for artificial intelligence applications.”
Chegg joins a growing number of companies challenging Google’s use of their intellectual property. According to a tracking site, as of January 2025, 38 copyright lawsuits related to AI have been filed in the US, yielding varied outcomes. Chegg’s approach, however, by focusing on the Sherman Act, presents a novel legal strategy in this ongoing debate.
This article was written with the assistance of an AI model. If there are any inaccuracies, please email admin [at]thenewdigital.ca and it will be corrected.
