OpenAI says it will give rights holders more granular control over how their characters appear in Sora 2 after the app’s launch flooded social platforms with videos featuring copyrighted IP like Pokémon and Mario. In a blog post, CEO Sam Altman said owners will be able to set rules for character use, up to and including blocking it entirely, and that OpenAI is exploring a revenue share for those who opt in. He acknowledged that some edge cases will slip through while the product evolves and that the company needs to find a business model for video generation as usage is higher than expected. There is no rollout date yet, only that changes will begin “very soon.”
Nintendo weighed in as Sora 2 clips spread, denying that it had lobbied Japan’s government on generative AI and reiterating that it will keep taking action against infringement. “Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights,” the company said. The statement followed online debate in Japan and came amid a broader push by major studios to protect their franchises in the AI era.
Legal pressure on AI tools is mounting. Disney and Universal have sued Midjourney over outputs that mimic studio characters, and Disney has sent a cease-and-desist to Character.AI over bots using Disney IP without authorization. Legal experts say training on copyrighted material may ultimately be judged lawful if the data was obtained legally, but platforms face greater risk on the output side when users generate content that reproduces protected characters.
OpenAI is also courting official partnerships. Reuters reported that Mattel is testing Sora to turn sketches into video concepts, a sign that sanctioned uses and licensing deals could grow alongside stricter guardrails. Separately, a CNBC-viewed Sora 2 clip shows Altman quipping, “I hope Nintendo doesn’t sue us,” a line that underscores the tension around fan-made videos and the boundaries OpenAI now promises to police.
What to watch is how OpenAI’s new controls actually work inside Sora 2, whether a revenue share becomes a formal program, and how consistently the platform can block infringing outputs once the tools go live. For now, rights holders are being told they will have more say, and users should expect fast changes as OpenAI adjusts to both demand and enforcement.
Sources: Sam Altman blog, The Guardian, The Verge, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, NintendoWire
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