OpenAI's Sora 2 accused of enabling copyright violations
OpenAI's Sora 2 video generation app has been accused of enabling widespread copyright violations by generating content featuring characters owned by Disney, Nintendo, Sony, and other companies. The app's model reportedly includes data from copyrighted sources, and OpenAI's policy shifts the burden of copyright protection to rights holders rather than seeking permission in advance.
What happened
Early users of OpenAI's Sora 2 video generator found they could quickly generate hyper-realistic video and audio clips featuring copyrighted characters from Disney, Nintendo, Sony, and other companies, including Mickey Mouse, Sonic, Pikachu, and other characters.
Reported impact
The intellectual property of studios, copyright holders and creators is at risk of widespread unauthorised use and potential reputational harm.
Index analysis
OpenAI's policy for Sora 2 requires copyright holders to explicitly opt-out of having their intellectual property used for AI-generated outputs rather than obtaining permission in advance, reflecting what commentators describe as a 'move fast and break things' approach.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.