The Motion Picture Association of America (MPA) is urging OpenAI to stop the use of copyrighted content in its new video creation tool, Sora 2, immediately.
Since its launch last week, users have been testing Sora 2 with content from movies and TV shows, leading to a surge of videos featuring copyrighted material online. The MPA contends that this usage clearly infringes copyright laws, insisting that OpenAI needs to take responsibility in preventing users from utilizing movies and TV shows in their AI-generated works. Reported by The Wrap.
“Since Sora 2 was introduced, we’ve seen a rapid increase in videos that violate the rights of our members, showcasing their films, shows, and characters across OpenAI’s platforms and social media,” stated MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin. He emphasized that while OpenAI has mentioned plans to give rights holders more control over character generation, it’s ultimately OpenAI’s responsibility to curtail infringement. Established copyright law applies here as well, he explained.
For instance, various videos created by Sora 2 featured the character Pikachu from popular movies like Save Private Ryan and Star Wars.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman addressed the copyright concerns, noting that the company intends to launch tools aimed at empowering rights holders to prevent unauthorized use of their material by Sora 2 users.
“We’re quickly learning from user interactions with Sora and actively incorporating feedback from users, rights holders, and other stakeholders,” Altman mentioned in a post on Friday. “While we had extensive discussions before the product’s launch, we can now move beyond theoretical conversations.”
Initially, OpenAI required copyright holders to reach out directly if they wished for their content to be kept from Sora 2 users, implying that all materials were fair game unless explicitly restricted by the creator.
However, rights holders prefer the opposite approach; they want all copyrighted material to be automatically restricted unless they permit its use.
Altman pointed out that this emerging space of AI-generated video tools presents a new frontier where OpenAI is currently in a phase of “trial and error” as they adapt to the challenges posed by the software.
Ultimately, Altman believes that Sora 2’s potential is so impressive that many rights holders are pleased that the public is interested in creating amateur videos featuring their characters and films.
“We’re hearing from numerous rights holders who express excitement over this form of ‘interactive fanfiction’, seeing it as an opportunity to create value for them. Still, they’d like the chance to dictate how their characters are portrayed, even if that means not allowing their use at all,” he wrote.
Still, studios seem uneasy with the notion of their content being used freely without permission or compensation.
