Pulman Comments on OpenAI’s Sora 2 and Copyright Implications
Pryor Cashman Partner Simon Pulman, Co-Chair of the firm’s Media + Entertainment and Film, TV + Podcast Groups and Co-Chair of the M+E Transactions and Financing Practice, was quoted in IndieWire and multiple other media outlets in connection with OpenAI’s rollout of its Sora 2 AI video model and the significant copyright and legal concerns it raises for the entertainment industry.
In IndieWire’s in-depth report, “OpenAI May Have Walked Back Its Sora 2 Opt-Out Policy, but That Doesn’t Mean It Suddenly Cares About Hollywood,” Simon expressed concern over OpenAI’s initial policy requiring rights holders to opt out if they didn’t want their intellectual property used in Sora’s training or generation process:
“It’s the equivalent of a begging for forgiveness type of thing. Because I think we all know it has been happening. […] What they are effectively saying is as a position, ‘The second you create it, we have the right to use it, unless you affirmatively opt out.’”
He also warned that OpenAI’s approach appears to follow a broader strategy of setting its own standards before legal frameworks can catch up:
“It’s the latest example of a tech company working to get ahead of the law by first trying to normalize and make ubiquitous the thing it’s doing.”
As the entertainment industry faces accelerating disruption from generative AI, Simon’s insights underscore the importance of proactive legal and policy engagement from creators, studios, and rights organizations.
Read the full IndieWire article below, along with links to additional coverage featuring Simon’s commentary:
