Square Enix and other game studios issue notice to OpenAI to stop using their content for AI

Japanese anti-piracy and copyright organization CODA has issued a formal request to OpenAI, asking it not to use its members' data to train Sora 2.

Square Enix and other game studios issue notice to OpenAI to stop using their content for AI
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TL;DR: The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), representing major Japanese game studios, has formally requested OpenAI address copyright concerns over its Sora 2 AI video generator. CODA alleges unauthorized use of Japanese content for training, emphasizing that replication during machine learning may infringe copyrights under Japan's laws.

The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) is a Japanese anti-piracy and copyright-related organization that represents a large number of game development studios and publishers, including Square Enix, Bandai Namco, and FromSoftware - creators of some of the most influential and recognized gaming franchises. Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Tekken, Pac-Man, Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and more.

Square Enix and other game studios issue notice to OpenAI to stop using their content for AI 2
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And on October 27, CODA submitted a written request to OpenAI regarding its Sora 2 AI video generator. "CODA has confirmed that a large portion of content produced by Sora 2 closely resembles Japanese content or images," the announcement says. "CODA has determined that this is the result of using Japanese content as machine learning data."

The organization is requesting that OpenAI respond "sincerely such that both the healthy development of AI technology and the protection of rightsholders and creators' rights are ensured."

CODA's announcement states that OpenAI's Sora 2 AI video generator includes an opt-out system for copyright holders. However, under Japan's copyright laws, this after-the-fact approach to copyright infringement doesn't mean that OpenAI avoids liability. The organization's primary concern is the unauthorized use of its members' content for training purposes without their permission.

"In cases, as with Sora 2, where specific copyrighted works are reproduced or similarly generated as outputs, CODA considers that the act of replication during the machine learning process may constitute copyright infringement," the organization explains.

OpenAI's Sora 2 launched on September 30, 2025. In a blog post that went live within the first week of its launch, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote that the plan was to "give rightsholders more granular control over generation of characters" and that for companies like Japanese game developers, Sora 2 represents a "new kind of engagement" that has a lot of value. In fact, even though the controls will allow rightsholders to exclude their characters and IP from Sora 2 videos, the goal is to "make it so compelling that many people want to."

There's no denying that Sora 2 is impressive in its current state, but making it "compelling" for copyright holders doesn't exclude the fact that their data was used to train the model.