The Japanese government has officially warned OpenAI to halt the use of copyrighted manga, anime, and video game characters in its new video-generation tool, Sora 2. The demand underscores Japan’s strict stance on protecting its cultural and creative assets, while also signaling growing global tension over how AI models handle intellectual property.
Launched in early October, OpenAI’s Sora 2 can generate 20-second 1080p videos from text prompts, showcasing an impressive leap in visual AI capability. However, the excitement soon gave way to controversy. Within days, social media platforms were flooded with clips featuring characters from One Piece, Demon Slayer, Pokémon, Mario, and other beloved Japanese franchises — all clearly protected under copyright law.
Japan’s Minister of Intellectual Property and AI Strategy, Minoru Kiuchi, stated that the government has requested OpenAI to refrain from infringing on Japanese authors’ intellectual property rights. He emphasized that manga and anime are national treasures, representing an integral part of Japan’s identity and soft power. “These are irreplaceable cultural assets,” Kiuchi said, stressing that AI companies must respect creators’ rights.
While the government expects OpenAI to comply voluntarily, officials have not ruled out legal measures. Under Japan’s AI Promotion Act, which came into effect on September 1, 2025, the country aims to become the world’s most “AI-friendly nation” by fostering technological growth while maintaining ethical and legal standards. However, the same law empowers authorities to intervene when AI technologies are used in inappropriate or unlawful ways, such as copyright violations or unauthorized data use.
The Future of Privacy Forum, a nonprofit think tank, noted that the law does not impose specific penalties for copyright abuse. Instead, it encourages companies to cooperate with regulatory authorities and adopt transparent, responsible practices. Japan’s message to OpenAI is clear — innovation must not come at the expense of artists’ rights and cultural integrity.
Public reaction in Japan has been swift and heated. Social media users accused both OpenAI and the Japanese government of mishandling the situation. Some artists expressed frustration that authorities were too slow to act, while others demanded stricter AI regulation to protect creative industries from exploitation.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has responded, promising that Sora will introduce new controls for content licensing and character usage. Rights holders will soon be able to block or restrict their characters from appearing in AI-generated videos — a move similar to opt-out systems used in image-generation models.
The controversy mirrors similar cases in the West. In summer 2025, Disney and Universal sued Midjourney for unauthorized use of protected characters. Earlier, OpenAI’s own image-generation updates for ChatGPT sparked criticism after users generated visuals resembling Studio Ghibli’s animation style, leading to concerns about AI imitation of creative expression.
As Japan pushes forward with its vision of responsible AI integration, this dispute highlights a broader question: Can innovation and intellectual property coexist harmoniously in the age of generative AI? The answer may determine not only the future of creative industries, but also the global framework for ethical AI governance.
Conclusion:
Japan’s challenge to OpenAI serves as a wake-up call for the entire AI industry. Protecting artistic originality and copyrighted content is no longer just a national issue — it’s a global imperative. The future of AI will depend on finding a balance between technological progress and respect for human creativity.
