Several Japanese publishing organizations have jointly requested OpenAI to stop using its works without authorization for AI training.

On November 3, 2025, the Japanese Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) sent a formal letter to OpenAI on behalf of a number of well-known publishing organizations, including Studio Ghibli, requesting it to stop using members' copyrighted content to train artificial intelligence models without permission.

As the creator of classic animations such as "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro", Studio Ghibli is directly affected by OpenAI's generative AI products. Since the release of ChatGPT's native image generator in March this year, users have used prompt words to recreate selfies and pet photos in Ghibli style, which has become an Internet trend. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman changed his X (formerly Twitter) avatar to a "Ghibli-ified" image. As a wider range of users access OpenAI's Sora application and video generator, Japan's CODA has clearly required OpenAI not to use members' works as machine learning materials without authorization.

OpenAI has always adopted a "use first, compensate later" approach to copyrighted content, which makes it easy for users to generate photos and videos of copyrighted characters or deceased celebrities, triggering complaints from many parties including Nintendo and the estate administrator of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. According to current U.S. law, it remains to be clarified whether the use of relevant copyright content for AI training constitutes infringement. Although a U.S. federal judge previously ruled that Anthropic did not violate copyright laws when training AI, it was fined for stealing training books. However, CODA believes that such behavior may constitute copyright infringement under Japanese copyright law.

CODA made it clear in the letter: "When specific works such as Sora 2 are copied or similarly generated, the reproduction of content during the machine learning process may be a copyright infringement. According to current Japanese law, prior permission is required to use protected content, and there is no immunity mechanism for subsequent appeals." Ghibli animation director Hayao Miyazaki himself did not directly respond to AI works imitating his style, but he criticized AI-generated three-dimensional animations in 2016 as "disgusting" and "an insult to life."

At present, it is up to OpenAI to decide independently whether to cooperate with relevant requests. If it refuses to fulfill relevant requirements, the affected institutions may choose to litigate. The field of copyright law still faces many legal and ethical challenges in the AI ​​era.