OpenAI recently launched"Sora" short video platform, although still only available by invitation in the US and Canada, has quickly shot to the top of the App Store charts. Its main feature is AI-generated videos, even allowing users to upload biometric data and see their own "digital twins" in the generated images. However, as many users attempt to create parody videos using well-known characters, copyright and intellectual property rights disputes have also emerged.
Before Sora was officially launched,wall street journalIt has been reported that OpenAI adopts an "include unless denied" licensing model, meaning that characters or content may appear in generated videos unless film studios or copyright holders explicitly object. This practice has sparked controversy, particularly with the emergence of videos on the platform featuring deepfakes such as Pikachu, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Sam Altman interacting with each other, highlighting the murky area of copyright control.
In this regard, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said earlierBlog articleThe company announced two major changes to Sora. First, it will provide more granular copyright controls, transitioning to an opt-in model requiring explicit authorization from licensees. This means users will no longer be able to create videos featuring copyrighted characters unless the rights holders have authorized Sora's use in advance.
Sam Altman noted that many content owners have expressed interest in "interactive fan creation," believing this new form of content participation could bring value, but also hoping to determine whether and how characters can be used. Sam Altman admitted that even with the new standards, it would still be difficult to prevent some "edge cases" from being mistakenly included in generated videos, but at least a clear framework would be established for most cases.
The second adjustment relates to the business model. Sam Altman stated that Sora will no longer rely solely on "additional fees during high-demand periods" to maintain its operations, but plans to incorporate a revenue-sharing mechanism for video production. While the specifics of this have not yet been announced, OpenAI appears to intend to share a portion of the revenue with copyright holders, allowing licensees to receive a return from the use of characters or content.
Sam Altman emphasized that, ideally, this new type of interactive participation would itself be extremely valuable to the content industry, while copyright revenue sharing would further strengthen the profit structure. This also demonstrates that OpenAI is gradually adjusting its strategy, attempting to strike a balance between AI generation freedom and copyright protection.
With Sora’s rapid rise to fame and the continued expansion of AI’s influence on image generation, balancing creator rights and user creative freedom will be a key issue that OpenAI and the entire industry must continue to address in the future.
