Sony Stands with Japan’s Creators in AI Copyright Crackdown

Sony’s anime branch Aniplex is amongst multiple prominent Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) affiliates who have requested the organization to contact OpenAI concerning the unauthorized training using its content by the video generator Sora 2.

Sora 2 permits users to generate short videos and animations by providing prompts, utilizing existing works for its training, leading to discussions about copyright.

The organization asserts it has “verified that a significant portion of content produced by Sora 2 bears a close resemblance to Japanese content or visuals” and that it “believes the replication during the machine learning process may count as copyright violation.”

The association mentions that Sora 2 implements an “opt-out mechanism contingent on requests from copyright holders” but highlights that in Japan “prior consent is typically necessary for the utilization of copyrighted works.”

It has thus urged that the content of CODA members should not be “employed for machine learning without their authorization” and that OpenAI clarifies how its copyrighted materials have been utilized up to this point.

It’s important to recognize that CODA’s members comprise major players in the anime sector, including Sony’s Aniplex, along with Bandai Namco, Studio Ghibli, Square Enix, Kadokawa, Shueisha, and numerous others.

Sony will likely feel particularly discontent seeing its creations being used in this manner, having recently made substantial investments in anime, an area they view as crucial for growth.

This year alone, it has witnessed two major global Box Office triumphs in the forms of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc.