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Japanese Publishers Demand OpenAI Stop Training Sora 2 on Hit Games and Anime
November 4, 2025Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and other top Japanese publishers are calling out OpenAI. Through the powerful Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), they’re demanding the company immediately stop using their creative work to train the Sora 2 AI video generator.
The statement is loud and clear: these publishers want no part in training AI models without their explicit consent. Their request went public via CODA’s website, sending a strong shot across the bow to OpenAI. The core demand? CODA and its members want OpenAI to immediately stop using their copyrighted games, anime, music, and more for machine learning, unless they’ve specifically agreed to it in advance.
OpenAI’s “Opt-Out” Policy Sparks Backlash
CODA’s statement doesn’t just ask for future permission. It also takes direct aim at Sora 2’s opt-out system. Here’s how it works: Sora 2 uses a company’s copyrighted content for training unless that company actively opts out. CODA says this is totally out of bounds; in Japan, copyright law requires that rights holders give permission first, not after the fact.
CODA lays it out: “there is no system allowing one to avoid liability for infringement through subsequent objections.” In other words, you can’t just scrape first and apologize (or grant exceptions) later. The onus is on AI developers to seek out approval up front, or they’re risking clear legal violations.
This isn’t just legal bluster, either. The CODA cohort includes heavyweights like Bandai Namco, Cygames, Square Enix, Toei, and many more. That covers everything from blockbuster games like Elden Ring to world-famous anime and music. When this coalition pushes back, it lands with real force in both Tokyo and on the global stage.
Why This Fight Matters: Copyright and the AI Gold Rush
CODA isn’t acting in isolation. The rise of tools like Sora 2 has kicked off a flood of copyright disputes worldwide. Publishers and creators are clamoring for clarity: who owns the data used to feed these models, and who’s on the hook when creative works get copied, remixed, or spit out in unexpected ways?
Recent precedent backs up the publishers’ concerns. Earlier this year, AI startup Anthropic paid out $1.5 billion to settle a copyright lawsuit with authors. Lawsuits around AI training, generative art, and copyright infringement are exploding, and you can track that messy saga in real time (as CODA references, Wired keeps an updated list).
CODA itself is a heavyweight organization that not only fights piracy, but also helps manage global distribution for Japanese video games, movies, TV, and anime. When it gets involved, you know the issue has hit a breaking point for Japan’s entertainment giants.
This escalating standoff with OpenAI shows the tension between rapid AI development and copyright law isn’t going away. If you’re following the future of creative industries and generative AI, expect this to shape the rules for everyone, from Silicon Valley startups to Tokyo’s biggest studios.
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