Man Suing Google, OpenAI Must Pay $23 Million Fee

Alexey Danilovich has been ordered to pay a court fee of 87.5 million shekels (approximately $23 million) if he wishes to proceed with his 3.5 billion shekel lawsuit against Google and OpenAI. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ronen made the ruling, upholding a lower court's decision. Danilovich had filed the suit in the Haifa District Court, alleging that the international tech giants infringed his intellectual property, conspired to suppress competitive market development, and engaged in intentional, improper mental pressure through their systems. He had also requested a waiver of the fee due to his financial and medical condition.

The standard fee for a civil lawsuit is 2.5% of the claimed amount, with half due upon filing and the remainder later. For Danilovich's claim, this amounts to 87.5 million shekels in total. He was initially required to pay 43.75 million shekels.

Judge Tami Levy had previously dismissed Danilovich's request for a fee waiver, noting the absence of a signed and verified affidavit. Levy also stated that Danilovich's financial situation was not sufficiently proven, citing outdated bank statements and his failure to address potential assistance from family or others. Furthermore, Levy found the lawsuit lacked sufficient factual and legal basis, deeming its chances of success low. She stipulated that the case would be dismissed if the fee was not paid within two weeks.

Danilovich appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, seeking an opportunity to rectify the deficiencies identified by Levy and present updated evidence. He argued that blocking his lawsuit at this stage severely harms his right to access the courts. Justice Ronen, however, affirmed the fee requirement, explaining it aims to partially involve the initiating party in the legal costs and prevent frivolous or excessive claims. She also acknowledged the importance of ensuring fee requirements do not impede access to justice for those in financial hardship. Ronen concluded that Levy's decision was reasonable and did not suffer from a fundamental flaw, even with the high fee. She reiterated that while a fee waiver is possible, the applicant must prove their financial status. Ronen also agreed that the lawsuit lacked adequate substantiation. She noted that if the fee is not paid, the lawsuit will be dismissed, but this dismissal does not permanently bar Danilovich from refiling his case in the future with proper documentation and a renewed request for a fee waiver.