SAN FRANCISCO
The global debate over intellectual property rights in the age of artificial intelligence has intensified after tech giant OpenAI announced it would grant copyright holders more control over the use of their characters in its new video generation model, Sora 2. The move comes as users leverage the tool to create hyper-realistic clips inspired by beloved copyrighted franchises, from the animated satire South Park to the video game behemoth Pokémon.
OpenAI, the firm behind the ubiquitous ChatGPT, is currently facing multiple lawsuits alleging copyright infringement, including a high-profile case brought by The New York Times. The issue gained significant attention in March when a previous ChatGPT image generator flooded the internet with AI-created images in the distinct style of the Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli.
Less than a week after the October 1 launch of Sora 2—an invitation-only application that allows users to place themselves into AI-generated scenes—OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the need for tighter controls.
In a blog post on Friday, Altman wrote: “We will give rightsholders more granular control over generation of characters.” He elaborated that this mechanism would be “similar to the opt-in model for likeness but with additional controls.” This aligns with a September report in The Wall Street Journal stating that OpenAI would require copyright holders, such as major movie studios, to opt out of having their content appear in AI videos generated by the model.
While some users noted that the tool often refused requests for videos featuring major figures from franchises like Disney or Marvel after the app’s launch, clips featuring characters from other major US franchises, as well as popular Japanese game and anime series, were widely shared. These included sophisticated AI clips showing Pikachu from Pokémon in various movie parodies, alongside scenarios featuring Nintendo’s Super Mario and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog.
Altman specifically acknowledged the significance of Japanese creativity, stating: “We’d like to acknowledge the remarkable creative output of Japan — we are struck by how deep the connection between users and Japanese content is!”
Reacting to the developments, Japanese gaming giant Nintendo issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, clarifying that it had “not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI.” The company added a firm warning: “Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights.“
Japanese lawmaker Akihisa Shiozaki also weighed in on X, cautioning of “serious legal and political issues.” He stressed the urgent need to address the matter “in order to protect and nurture the world-leading Japanese creators.”
OpenAI’s latest policy shift underscores the increasingly volatile intersection between rapid AI development and the established rights of creators worldwide.
