New york, NY – August 6, 2025 – News Corp is actively negotiating licensing agreements with multiple artificial intelligence firms for the use of its intellectual property, CEO Robert Thomson revealed Tuesday, signaling a notable shift in how media companies are responding to the rise of AI.The company is concurrently pursuing legal action to protect its content.
Thomson stated that AI companies are increasingly recognizing the value of copyrighted material, comparing its importance to securing essential resources like semiconductors and energy. He described the company’s approach as a combination of “wooing and suing,” emphasizing a willingness to both collaborate and litigate to safeguard its rights.
“We prefer the former, but we will never shy away from protecting our property rights,” Thomson affirmed. This stance reflects a broader industry trend as news organizations grapple with the implications of AI-powered content generation and the potential for unauthorized use of thier reporting.
The proclamation arrives amid ongoing legal tensions between News Corp and former President Donald Trump. Trump filed a libel suit against the Wall Street Journal on July 18, 2025, following a report detailing a birthday message he sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, which included a drawing. The lawsuit, filed in the southern District of New York, alleges the report was false and defamatory. News Corp, represented by the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, has moved to dismiss the case, arguing significant truth and lack of malice.
Rupert Murdoch, the controlling shareholder of News Corp and chairman of Fox Corporation, previously enjoyed a close relationship with Trump, but their alliance fractured during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.Emma Tucker, the editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, has been a key figure in maintaining the newspaper’s editorial independence during this period.
Financially, News Corp reported fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded expectations, driven by a 12% increase in digital subscriptions at Dow Jones, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and MarketWatch. Dow Jones reported 3.2 million digital subscribers as of June 30, 2025. the company also announced plans to launch the California Post, a sister publication to the New York Post, in Los Angeles in early 2026, aiming to capitalize on the California market with a focus on local news and entertainment.
