You Can't Use Copyrighted Characters in OpenAI's Sora Anymore and People Are Freaking Out
Gizmodo
Blog post on Sora, days after the Sora 2 launch
“We are hearing from a lot of rightsholders who are very excited for this new kind of 'interactive fan fiction' and think this new kind of engagement will accrue a lot of value to them, but want the ability to specify how their characters can be used (including not at all)”
Sam Altmanreported 4 October 2025- What you'll lose3/5
Characters were fair game until their owners opted out.
- Condescension2/5
Rightsholders are 'very excited', he reports.
- Tone-deafness3/5
Copyright, rebranded as 'interactive fan fiction'.
- Doom0/5
None.
- Hypocrisy0/5
None on record.
Full time8 pitchforksof a possible 25
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The occasion
Blog post on Sora, days after the Sora 2 launch, reported 4 October 2025.
Context
After Sora 2 launched with an opt-out approach to copyrighted characters and filled with clips of protected characters, Altman wrote that rightsholders would get more granular control and a share of revenue. Sora fans complained about the change, and the Motion Picture Association separately demanded that OpenAI stop infringement.
Crowd reaction
Widespread criticism
Gizmodo says Sora 'obsessives' were 'not taking it particularly well'; Futurism reports the Motion Picture Association then issued a 'scorching statement' urging OpenAI to stop infringement and that the new guardrails caused 'major whiplash' for power users, and The Decoder asks why OpenAI launched with so few restrictions only to reverse days later.
- Yahoo News: Sam Altman weighs in after Sora copyright backlash
- The Decoder: OpenAI suddenly remembers that copyright law exists after a few days of wild Sora videos
- Gizmodo: You Can’t Use Copyrighted Characters in OpenAI’s Sora Anymore and People Are Freaking Out
- Futurism: OpenAI’s Sora Is in Serious Trouble
- Where the exact words are printed