A collection of major Japanese publishers has taken a formal stance against the use of their intellectual property (IP) in OpenAI’s Sora 2 AI video generation platform. Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) has issued a letter to OpenAI demanding that the company restrict the use of copyrighted materials in Sora 2. This request covers content from prominent companies such as Sony, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and several others.
The letter from CODA to OpenAI was announced in a press release on the organization’s website, as reported by Automaton. Alongside the game companies mentioned, several major media companies are also part of this collective action, including Aniplex, Studio Ghibli, Kadokawa, and Shueisha.
With the demand to restrict this group’s content, popular franchises such as Dark Souls, Final Fantasy, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, and many more are directly affected. Studio Ghibli’s unique art style, in particular, has been heavily mimicked in AI image and video generation—though the aesthetic itself may prove more difficult to regulate.
The publishers involved have conducted research on Sora 2 and claim that the platform infringes upon their IP rights. This marks the latest copyright controversy surrounding Sora 2, which has already faced criticism from several high-profile organizations and individuals. These include the Motion Picture Association, the estate of Martin Luther King Jr., and SAG-AFTRA, with actors like Bryan Cranston joining the denouncements.
As the debate over AI-generated content and copyright continues to intensify, the demand from these Japanese publishers highlights the growing challenges AI platforms face in navigating intellectual property rights.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146643/sora-2-openai-japan-publishers-letter-coda-sony-bandai-namco
