Axel Scheffler, who drew the pictures for "The Gruffalo," is "seriously considering" legal action against AI firms, according to the BBC. He says the companies break copyright when they copy his work, the outlet reports.

"I've been in touch with a lawyer in Germany," Scheffler said, the BBC reports. "I just want them to stop." He did not name a company he might take to court. He said any case would not be about money but about protecting artists now and in the future.

Scheffler, who does not own a smartphone, said he tried to ignore AI until someone showed him AI images of his characters, the BBC reports. "It's clearly my mouse, my Gruffalo," he said. He called it "a clear theft of copyright." The Gruffalo books have sold more than 18 million copies, the outlet reports.

He is looking at Germany because he thinks the European Union is friendlier to creators, the BBC reports. A London copyright lawyer, Nick Buckland, said two German cases have gone against AI firms that copied song lyrics word for word. But he said a case could be hard to win. "Generative AI doesn't copy, it trains," he said.

OpenAI is already being sued in Germany by Penguin Random House over a children's book dragon character, the BBC reports. A court in Munich is set to rule in spring 2027. OpenAI said it is talking with rights holders and acts on copyright complaints, the outlet reports.

What we know: Scheffler is weighing a case in Germany against AI firms.
What we don't: Which company he would target, or if he will file at all. Only the BBC has reported this so far. NewsHabit hasn't seen independent confirmation.