OpenAI to give content owners more control in Sora

OpenAI, which first launched Sora as a tool to generate videos from text prompts, is now planning to give rightsholders more control over the generation of characters and test a revenue-sharing model.

The ChatGPT creator will give rightsholders "more granular control over generation of characters," CEO Sam Altman posted on Friday.

This will be similar to the opt-in model, but will include additional controls. Atman says that creators often express their excitement for this new kind of "interactive fan fiction", but specify that they would like to have more control over how their characters are used, if at all.

To incentivise creators, OpenAI will start sharing revenues with rightsholders. This is partly because users are generating much more than first expected, with many videos generated for very small audiences.

"We are going to try sharing some of this revenue with rightsholders who want their characters generated by users," Atman wrote.

Those creators who would like for their characters to be used in that way will receive a revenue cut, although figuring out the exact amount and conditions “will take some trial and error,” according to Atman.

The move is of particular importance as many criticize tools like Sora for violating copyright. Since the launch of the new Sora 2 app, users have generated countless videos featuring famous animated characters and big brands, attracting the attention of legal experts.

OpenAI is likely trying to strike a balance between giving creators more ownership over their material while still letting users on the platform express themselves.

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI had been telling studios and talent agencies that its new Sora version will be using Hollywood characters and other copyrighted work to produce videos, even without explicit consent from the copyright holders.

Those studios that don’t wish for their characters to be used can opt out, meaning that they have to explicitly inform OpenAI that they don’t wish to be included in Sora’s videos.

You can read more about the app in our in-depth, full review of Sora here.