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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 2d

FWIW, it looks like they're actually going EXTRA restrictive at the moment. Example: I just asked Sora 2 to "Show me a funny video of a yellow cartoon dad that likes beer and donuts" and I got back "This content may violate our guardrails concerning similarity to third-party content."

Brian Merchant @bcmerchant.bsky.social · 2d

I'm also skeptical that this opt-in method will work all that well, aside from in the more obvious cases that pose the greatest risk of litigation like Disney. All of these materials are clearly already in the training data!

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 3d

Facing backlash, OpenAI reverses course: rightsholders will decide whether their characters can appear in Sora 2, with revenue sharing for those who opt in. But will copyright owners hand over their IP to be freely manipulated for a slice of ad revenue? copyrightlately.com/openai-backt...

Sora, Not Sorry: OpenAI Backtracks on Opt-Out Copyright Policy

OpenAI, facing backlash, will now let rightsholders decide whether their characters appear in Sora 2, with revenue sharing for those who opt in.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 4d

But that’s a massive if. There’s a world of difference between studios collecting YouTube ad revenue on video clips they produce and control, and handing over their characters for anyone to freely manipulate.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately: copyrightlately.com/openai-backt...

Sora, Not Sorry: OpenAI Backtracks on Opt-Out Copyright Policy

OpenAI, facing backlash, will now let rightsholders decide whether their characters appear in Sora 2, with revenue sharing for those who opt in.

copyrightlately.com

Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 4d

It would be a big win for OpenAI, assuming content owners play along.

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 4d

If studios become partners rather than adversaries, OpenAI can potentially offset costs while buying legal cover not only for the outputs, but maybe even retroactive blessing for the unauthorized training as well.

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 4d

Users are generating far more videos than expected, using massive compute resources on content that's often being generated for very small audiences (it is, after all, a social media app).

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 4d

The reversal came with no apology—just Sam Altman chalking it up to "taking feedback." Meanwhile, he admitted the real issue:

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 4d

Testing the app this week revealed the strategy: Launch without guardrails. Let Family Guy, South Park and Pikachu videos drive engagement and media coverage. Hit #1 on the App Store (for an invite only app). Then implement restrictions once you've captured the market.

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 4d

Late Friday, the company announced it will move to an opt-in model requiring permission before copyrighted characters can appear in Sora 2 videos.

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 4d

What a wild week in AI and copyright. Just three days after launching its new Sora 2 AI video app with a brazen policy that let users create videos featuring copyrighted characters unless rightsholders explicitly opted out, OpenAI has slammed the brakes.

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 5d

My Q&A with Puck's Matt Belloni, and why OpenAI's Sora 2 might be Hollywood's biggest copyright test since YouTube. Up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/sora-2-copyr...

@mattbelloni.bsky.social

Is Sora 2 the Entertainment Industry's Next "Lazy Sunday" Moment?

My Q&A with Puck's Matt Belloni on why OpenAI's Sora 2 could be Hollywood's biggest copyright test since YouTube

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 7d

Everything beyond some pretty skeletal prompting was Sora. Wild.

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 8d

I tested OpenAI’s new Sora 2 video app. Within minutes I was generating branded cartoon clips. Hollywood’s AI headache just got animated.

copyrightlately.com/new-sora-ai-...

New Sora AI App Forces Hollywood to Opt Out or Get Played

I tested OpenAI's new Sora 2 video app. Within minutes I was generating branded cartoon clips. Hollywood's AI headache just got animated.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 9d

An artist claimed concept art for Disney's new Lion King ride infringed her concept art for a new Lion King ride—which was itself based on Disney's Lion King.

It didn't work out so well.

Full story up now on Copyright Lately:

copyrightlately.com/pride-rock-p...

Pride Rock Plunge: Theme Park Dreams Meet Copyright Reality

A judge dismissed an artist's lawsuit over a 'Lion King' ride concept, finding no substantial similarity after filtering out Disney's own IP.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · 17d

Fair use wins, exclusivity loses, the Ninth Circuit finally publishes, and the future of a psychic network’s lawsuit looks hazy. Time to catch up.
copyrightlately.com/whats-up-wit...

What’s Up With Copyright Lately?: Sweater Weather Edition

Fair use wins, exclusivity loses, the 9th Circuit finally publishes, and the future of a psychic network's lawsuit looks hazy. Time to catch up.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · Sep 8

Anthropic's $1.5 billion copyright settlement is simultaneously groundbreaking and trivial, a paradox that reveals how AI has fundamentally altered the economics of copyright infringement.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/anthropic-se...

Anthropic’s $1.5 Billion Speeding Ticket

It’s the largest copyright settlement in history. But for Anthropic, it’s a toll booth, not a stop sign.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · Jul 21

Trump just lost a copyright lawsuit claiming ownership over his own recorded words in the Woodward interviews. Full story, up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/trump-loses-copyright-fight-over-woodward-interview-recordings/

Reposted by Aaron Moss

Brian L. Frye @brianlfrye.bsky.social · Jul 1

Great @copyrightlately.bsky.social essay on the different approaches taken in last week's AI copyright infringement opinions by Alsup & Chhabria. copyrightlately.com/apprentice-o...

Apprentice or Adversary? Judges Split on AI and Copyright

Two wins for AI companies mask a deeper divide: Is artificial intelligence a creative tool or an existential threat?

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · Jun 30

Should copyright protect creative output—or the humans who create it? Two judges just revealed the philosophical fault line that will define AI's legal future. Full story, up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/apprentice-o...

Apprentice or Adversary? Judges Split on AI and Copyright

Two wins for AI companies mask a deeper divide: Is artificial intelligence a creative tool or an existential threat?

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · Jun 23

Ethan Klein once defended reaction videos as fair use. Now he’s suing Twitch streamers for barely reacting at all. Bong rips, blank stares, and bathroom breaks take center stage in the year's most ironic copyright lawsuit. Up now on Copyright Lately: copyrightlately.com/ethan-klein-...

Ethan Klein Files Copyright Lawsuits Over 'Lazy' Reaction Videos

Ethan Klein helped establish fair use protections for reaction videos. Now he's suing to prove that not all reactions are created equal.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · Jun 16

"Show, Don't Tell" takes center stage in Disney & Universal's lawsuit against Midjourney. After 40+ AI copyright cases got stuck on training data, this one puts the outputs front and center. Full story and why it matters, up now on @copyrightlately:
copyrightlately.com/why-the-stud...
#copyright #AI

Why the Studios’ Midjourney Lawsuit Is Different

Hollywood knows the power of visuals. In their lawsuit against Midjourney, the studios aren't just alleging infringement—they're showing it.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · Jun 12

Pretty hard one to miss!

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · May 27

A constitutional showdown over who controls the Copyright Office heads to court tomorrow. Full story now on Copyright Lately. copyrightlately.com/perlmutters-...

Perlmutter's Lawsuit Is About More Than Just Getting Her Job Back

Can the White House remove the Register of Copyrights? Shira Perlmutter says no—and warns the stakes go far beyond her job.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · May 11

The day before Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter was fired, the Copyright Office quickly and quietly dropped a major report on AI and fair use. I break down the timing, the fallout, and my 5 biggest takeaways—up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/copyright-of...

Five Takeaways from the Copyright Office’s Controversial New AI Report

The Copyright Office released its AI fair use report a day before its leader was dismissed: the timing, the fallout, and what it all means.

copyrightlately.com

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Aaron Moss @copyrightlately.bsky.social · Apr 28

With tariffs, trade wars, and treaty tensions dominating the headlines, it’s only fitting that an international copyright flare-up has landed in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Check out my “amicus blog” on why the court needs to reverse Vetter v. Resnik.

copyrightlately.com/fifth-circui...

Dear Fifth Circuit: It's Time to Reverse Vetter v. Resnik

In Vetter v. Resnik, a district court treated U.S. termination rights as a global eraser. Now, on appeal, it's time to set things straight.

copyrightlately.com