The The Wall Street Journal caught my eye this morning with the headline: OpenAI Reverses Stance on Use of Copyright Works in Sora However, as usual, it is important to go beyond the headlines. OpenAI’s “Opt-Out” Reversal and What It Really Means: OpenAI’s announcement that it will now allow copyright holders to “opt in” to the use of their works in Sora, its video generation tool, initially sounds like a step in the right direction. "Opt out" doesn't work. But on closer review, it appears that the company’s new approach still places the burden on creators and rights holders to opt out—except in limited cases involving copyrighted characters or highly recognizable visual styles. While this may be a shift in tone from earlier policies, it does not yet represent true respect for copyright or creators’ rights. An ethical and sustainable model for generative AI must recognize that copyrighted works of all kinds—images, footage, text, music, and collections—deserve equal protection. Opt-out systems unfairly shift responsibility to creators, requiring them to discover and exclude each work individually, rather than requiring AI developers to seek permission before use. This development, however, could signal an important opening. If OpenAI and other AI developers are beginning to acknowledge the need for copyright governance and transparent content controls, then the next step must be a move toward a fully opt-in, consent-based framework. That would bring the technology sector closer to a truly legal, fair, and ethical relationship with the creative industries—one that values authorship, fosters trust, and supports the innovation that copyright was designed to protect. #copyright #creatorrights #content #AI #creativeeconomy OpenAI United States Copyright Office Digital Media Licensing Association - DMLA Copyright Alliance Article here >> https://lnkd.in/g8VwwQqy

The recent $1.5 billion agreement between a prominent artificial intelligence firm and authors concerning copyright violations signifies a pivotal shift beyond mere legal resolution; it heralds the emergence of authentic markets for AI training data. This landmark development indicates the onset of an essential transformation towards market-driven licensing frameworks, reminiscent of the music industry's evolution in response to digital distribution, which led to the establishment of equitable compensation systems for creators. Such progress underscores the growing recognition of intellectual property rights within the AI sector, paving the way for more structured and fair practices in the utilization of creative works.

Core copyright industries represent 8% of US GDP and support 12 million jobs. AI companies are using this content without paying creators. The math doesn't work for artists. We're witnessing the largest intellectual property battle in American history. Icons like Elton John, Dua Lipa, and ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus are leading the charge. Even Ulvaeus, who embraces AI's creative potential, demands fair compensation when AI systems train on human work. The impact is already here: 🎵 Deezer saw AI-generated music submissions jump from 10% to 28% in six months 📰 News outlets report declining readership due to AI summaries 🎬 Hollywood entry-level jobs are disappearing as clients demand cheaper AI projects Over 30 active copyright cases are reshaping the industry. Courts confirmed AI-generated works can't be copyrighted without human authorship. But training AI on copyrighted content without permission remains a gray area. Technical solutions exist. Really Simple Licensing and content tracking systems could work. But they need regulatory support. Congress must act now: • Require transparency about training data • Establish collective licensing systems • Update fair use doctrine for AI Without these protections, we risk model collapse. AI systems training only on AI-created materials will degrade over time. The creative economy built our cultural foundation. We can't let it crumble in the name of innovation. How do we balance AI advancement with fair compensation for creators? #AIcopyright #CreativeIndustry #IntellectualProperty 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: https://lnkd.in/dt7RCHP5

Core copyright industries represent 8% of US GDP and support 12 million jobs. AI companies are using this content without paying creators. The math doesn't work for artists. We're witnessing the largest intellectual property battle in American history. Icons like Elton John, Dua Lipa, and ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus are leading the charge. Even Ulvaeus, who embraces AI's creative potential, demands fair compensation when AI systems train on human work. The impact is already here: 🎵 Deezer saw AI-generated music submissions jump from 10% to 28% in six months 📰 News outlets report declining readership due to AI summaries 🎬 Hollywood entry-level jobs are disappearing as clients demand cheaper AI projects Over 30 active copyright cases are reshaping the industry. Courts confirmed AI-generated works can't be copyrighted without human authorship. But training AI on copyrighted content without permission remains a gray area. Technical solutions exist. Really Simple Licensing and content tracking systems could work. But they need regulatory support. Congress must act now: • Require transparency about training data • Establish collective licensing systems • Update fair use doctrine for AI Without these protections, we risk model collapse. AI systems training only on AI-created materials will degrade over time. The creative economy built our cultural foundation. We can't let it crumble in the name of innovation. How do we balance AI advancement with fair compensation for creators? #AIcopyright #CreativeIndustry #IntellectualProperty 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: https://lnkd.in/gd5AdMsN

US judge preliminarily approves $1.5 billion Anthropic copyright settlement A federal judge in California on Thursday preliminarily approved a landmark $1.5 billion settlement of a copyright class action brought by a group of authors against artificial intelligence company Anthropic, according to the authors' representatives. The proposed deal marks the first settlement in a string of lawsuits against tech companies including OpenAI, Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab over their use of copyrighted material to train generative AI systems. Reuters https://lnkd.in/dbfpiEtp

From THE GRAIN Newsletter: Seeding the story: On the eve of Donald Trump’s visit to ink a landmark tech and AI deal, some of the U.K.’s biggest cultural icons—Paul McCartney, Elton John and Kate Bush among them—signed a letter urging British prime minister Keir Starmer to protect artists from AI systems that train on their work without consent. They’ve even called it a human rights issue, tying it to the European Convention. Meanwhile, the E.U. has been quietly loosening its once-tough AI guardrails, while lawmakers in Australia just rejected stronger copyright protections for creators. Taken together, it feels like the ground under creative rights is shifting, depending on where you stand. My grain of thought: When copyright starts to slip, what’s really on the line isn’t just money—it’s acknowledgment. These systems rely on human work to function, but companies are reluctant to say so. If they admit it, they admit dependence. And dependence means leverage: artists could put guardrails on use, set fees, influence or jam the pipeline entirely. Photographers are familiar with services that scour the internet for unauthorized uses of an image, and send a demand for payment. It’s tedious, but it proves a point: creators have always had to fight for recognition, sometimes one infringement at a time. The difference now is scale. Instead of one image lifted for a blog, it’s entire archives absorbed into AI training sets. The debate isn’t only about a royalty check per use. It’s about transparency, accountability, and whether human creativity is treated as raw material or as the foundation it actually is. https://lnkd.in/g38G3W-t https://lnkd.in/gbZCPKtK Subscribe to THE GRAIN Newsletter for 5 of the most vital AI news stories with insights on how they impact our creative industries, in your inbox every Thursday: thegrainai.substack.com Because creatives—we need to start talking about the pleasure and the peril of AI, and we need to do it now.

🚨 OpenAI just made a massive pivot that every creator needs to understand. Sam Altman announced Sora will now require OPT-IN copyright controls instead of opt-out. This isn't just a policy change—it's a complete shift in how AI companies will handle intellectual property. Here's what happened: Users flooded Sora with AI videos of Pikachu, SpongeBob, and other copyrighted characters. Major studios like Disney immediately opted out of the platform. OpenAI realized they couldn't build a sustainable business by fighting copyright holders. So they completely reversed course. Why this matters for every professional: ✅ AI companies are learning they need permission, not forgiveness when it comes to IP. ✅ Revenue-sharing models with copyright holders are becoming the new standard. ✅ The "move fast and break things" era of AI is ending—collaboration is the future. ✅ Creators who own valuable IP now have more leverage than ever before. This sets a precedent that will ripple across the entire AI industry. Google, Meta, and every other AI company is watching this closely. The message is clear: respect intellectual property or face the consequences. For creators and businesses, this is actually great news. It means your original content has more protection and potential value in the AI economy. The companies that figure out fair partnerships will win. The ones that try to take without asking will lose. What's your take—is this the right move for the AI industry?

OpenAI's Major Pivot in Sora: A New Blueprint for AI, Copyright, and Revenue Sharing The conversation around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intellectual Property (IP) just took a significant turn. Following its launch of the Sora video-generation app and the resulting surge of unauthorized copyrighted character videos, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced a critical overhaul of the platform's copyright policy. Key Developments for the Industry: Shift to Opt-In Control: OpenAI is moving from a controversial 'opt-out' policy—which placed the burden on rightsholders to police their content—to an opt-in system for fictional characters. This grants copyright holders, such as major studios, "more granular control" over how their IP is used, mirroring the existing system for user likenesses. Official Character Monetization: Official "cameos" for fictional characters are now on the product roadmap. Crucially, OpenAI plans to "start very soon" with a revenue-sharing model to compensate rightsholders who grant permission for their characters to be generated by users. This move is a strong signal of collaboration over conflict, aiming to build a sustainable model where creative IP is both protected and financially valued within the burgeoning generative AI ecosystem. For content creators, studios, and legal professionals, this sets a powerful precedent for how compensation and control will be negotiated in this new creative frontier. NEWS SOURCE: https://lnkd.in/dTSUewPm #AI #CopyrightLaw #GenerativeAI #OpenAI #Sora #MediaTech #IntellectualProperty

Isn't it wild how technology can blur the lines between creativity and copyright? Recently, big names in the music industry like Universal, Sony, and Warner have taken a stand against an AI company called Suno. They claim that Suno has used their music without permission to develop its AI systems. This raises some serious questions about what you can and can’t do with AI when it comes to creative content. But it doesn’t stop there. This scenario opens up a larger conversation about AI and copyright laws. As we embrace these new technologies, we must also ask ourselves: where do we draw the line for fair use? While this drama unfolds, the tech world keeps moving ahead. For instance, Nvidia has just launched its first AI Technology Center in the Middle East. They’re focusing on humanoid robots and robotics, which is fascinating! And let’s not forget some of the amazing new AI tools that are making waves right now. Have you heard of Harpa? It’s an all-in-one tool that helps you count, create, and streamline your online tasks, directly in your browser. Or how about Match Booster? If you're looking for dating help, this tool transforms your selfies into high-quality images that can boost your profile. Lastly, there’s ChatNode, which turns your website’s info into helpful AI assistants. Imagine having a 24/7 helper for customer interactions! As we navigate these exciting developments, it's important to keep the conversation going about ethics and responsibilities in AI. What are your thoughts on the balance between innovation and creativity? To read the entire newsletter, click here https://lnkd.in/dmUJ39qd

Are AI-generated solutions creating new challenges for creatives? Recent discussions highlight how copyright laws may inadvertently favor collaboration over solo creation. It seems those working in teams, integrating AI as a tool within a broader process, gain stronger copyright protection for their output. This contrasts with solo creators heavily reliant on AI, who might face difficulties protecting their work, because a hybrid approach leveraging pre-existing copyrighted material, live-action footage, and human likenesses offers more robust IP ownership. This approach suggests that complexity and collaboration could be the keys to safeguarding creative work in the age of AI. Curious if others are seeing similar dynamics in their industries, and how are you adapting? #CopyrightLaw #AIandCreativity #IntellectualProperty #CreativeCollaboration #InnovationStrategy