18 Anime and Manga Companies Take a Stand Against Sora 2 AI

Some big names from the anime and manga side are pushing back. Eighteen Japanese companies, joined by the Content Overseas Distribution Association, also known as CODA, have put out a joint statement calling out OpenAI’s Sora 2 video and audio generation tool.

Their main worry is simple. They say Sora 2 keeps producing output that looks unmistakably like their original works, and that is a real copyright concern when those works were not licensed for that use in the first place.

The deeper issue is how Sora 2 handles training data. The system works on an opt out basis, which means it can use any work until the rights holder asks for it to be removed. The companies argue that this clashes with Japanese copyright law, which expects permission before a work is used, not after.

CODA has formally asked OpenAI to stop using member company content for machine learning without consent. The group is also calling for three things going forward: a switch to an opt in system, full transparency about what content is used for training, and fair compensation for rights holders whose work has already been used.

My take: I do not think AI tools have to be the villain here, but the way they are trained matters, and asking before using someone else’s art has always been the basic rule. Eighteen companies lining up on the same statement tells you this is not a fringe complaint. I hope it turns into a real conversation about consent and credit, because the artists behind these worlds deserve a seat at that table.