philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Studios’ Now-or-Never Choice: Sue AI Companies or Score a Major IP Deal

... If they sue, major studios could force AI companies to the bargaining table to get leverage. Most creators who’ve already filed suits have signaled they’re willing to take licensing deals. The Authors Guild is heading that way, with plans in motion to unveil a platform for its members to opt in to the offering of a blanket license. Discussions involve a fee to use works as training data and a prohibition on outputs that borrow too much from existing material. “We have to be proactive because generative AI is here to stay,” says Mary Rasenberger, chief executive of the organization, who notes that best-selling author James Patterson helped fund the project. “They need high-quality books. Our position is that there’s nothing wrong with the tech, but it has to be legal and licensed.”

In the meantime, as courts wrestle with novel questions of copyright law, concept artists like Southen are seeing a diminishing market for their services as they’re increasingly being forced to compete with the chatbots they unwillingly helped create.

“Business this year has been absolutely terrible,” Southen says. “I know there were the strikes, but there’s definitely more to it than that.”

See the full story here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/studios-sue-ai-companies-or-ip-deal-1235785627/