Kadrey v. Meta: Piracy Allegations and the Llama Paper Trail
In mid-December 2024, unsealed filings in Kadrey et al. v. Meta Platforms alleged the company torrented LibGen's pirated library while engineers warned it 'doesn't feel right' on corporate laptops, stripped copyright management information with purpose-built scripts, and used a dataset a memo called 'we know to be pirated' — with CEO approval over executive objections. The proposed DMCA and CDAFA claims reframe the AI-copyright fight around distribution and concealment rather than fair use alone. This account walks the exhibits, the legal architecture, and the compliance lessons for every AI data program.