Aaron Moss
@copyrightlately.bsky.social
Copyright lawyer, along with trademark, media and entertainment litigation. Visit copyrightlately.com for copyright stuff
Public Domain Day 2026 is almost here. On January 1, works from 1930—including Miss Marple, Animal Crackers, and The Little Engine That Could—enter the U.S. public domain. Expect celebration, confusion, and at least one Betty Boop slasher film. Sorry in advance.
copyrightlately.com/public-domai...
copyrightlately.com/public-domai...
Public Domain Day 2026 Is Coming: Here's What to Know
On January 1, 2026, works from 1930—including Nancy Drew, Betty Boop, and The Maltese Falcon—hit the U.S. public domain. Here’s what it all means.
copyrightlately.com
December 8, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Public Domain Day 2026 is almost here. On January 1, works from 1930—including Miss Marple, Animal Crackers, and The Little Engine That Could—enter the U.S. public domain. Expect celebration, confusion, and at least one Betty Boop slasher film. Sorry in advance.
copyrightlately.com/public-domai...
copyrightlately.com/public-domai...
As NBC used to say when advertising 'Friends' reruns back in the 90s:
If you haven't seen it, it's new to you!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
copyrightlately.com/a-five-cours...
If you haven't seen it, it's new to you!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
copyrightlately.com/a-five-cours...
A Five-Course Feast of Thanksgiving-Themed Copyright Cases
If you like your turkey with a side of copyright infringement, you've come to the right place.
copyrightlately.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:37 AM
As NBC used to say when advertising 'Friends' reruns back in the 90s:
If you haven't seen it, it's new to you!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
copyrightlately.com/a-five-cours...
If you haven't seen it, it's new to you!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
copyrightlately.com/a-five-cours...
SDNY just held that AI “substitutive summaries” — non-verbatim outputs that mirror a story’s expressive structure and journalistic choices — may plausibly infringe copyright. Big case for AI + news. Full story on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/court-rules-...
copyrightlately.com/court-rules-...
Court Rules AI News Summaries May Infringe Copyright
News publishers just cleared a key hurdle against Cohere in a copyright fight over AI-generated "substitutive summaries" of their reporting.
copyrightlately.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:09 AM
SDNY just held that AI “substitutive summaries” — non-verbatim outputs that mirror a story’s expressive structure and journalistic choices — may plausibly infringe copyright. Big case for AI + news. Full story on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/court-rules-...
copyrightlately.com/court-rules-...
President Trump just raised tariffs on Canada over a Reagan ad quoting Reagan's anti-tariff views.
Is there a copyright issue?
The answer may depend which side of the border you're on.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/reagan-found...
Is there a copyright issue?
The answer may depend which side of the border you're on.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/reagan-found...
Can the Reagan Foundation Sue Ontario for Copyright Infringement over Tariff Ad?
Thanks to international copyright treaties, Reagan's public domain speech may be protected in Canada—even as Canada gets tariffed for using it here.
copyrightlately.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:10 PM
President Trump just raised tariffs on Canada over a Reagan ad quoting Reagan's anti-tariff views.
Is there a copyright issue?
The answer may depend which side of the border you're on.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/reagan-found...
Is there a copyright issue?
The answer may depend which side of the border you're on.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/reagan-found...
well, they did appeal already. The argument may be waived at this point.
October 21, 2025 at 12:38 AM
well, they did appeal already. The argument may be waived at this point.
What an incredibly odd case. You'd think someone in SIX YEARS of litigation would have picked up on the fact that a form SR can be (and, to my eyes, was) used to register both the sound recording and the composition when they're authored and owned by the same person.
October 20, 2025 at 5:03 PM
What an incredibly odd case. You'd think someone in SIX YEARS of litigation would have picked up on the fact that a form SR can be (and, to my eyes, was) used to register both the sound recording and the composition when they're authored and owned by the same person.
French Montana just won a six-year lawsuit because a teenage producer supposedly registered only a sound recording copyright—not the underlying composition.
But what if his registration covered both—and nobody realized it?
Full story on Copyright Lately⬇️
copyrightlately.com/how-french-m...
But what if his registration covered both—and nobody realized it?
Full story on Copyright Lately⬇️
copyrightlately.com/how-french-m...
How French Montana Won on a Copyright Technicality
7th Circuit: register the right copyright or risk losing even when tracks sound identical. But what if the artist did—and nobody noticed?
copyrightlately.com
October 20, 2025 at 5:03 PM
French Montana just won a six-year lawsuit because a teenage producer supposedly registered only a sound recording copyright—not the underlying composition.
But what if his registration covered both—and nobody realized it?
Full story on Copyright Lately⬇️
copyrightlately.com/how-french-m...
But what if his registration covered both—and nobody realized it?
Full story on Copyright Lately⬇️
copyrightlately.com/how-french-m...
FWIW, it looks like they're actually going EXTRA restrictive at the moment. Example: I just asked Sora 2 to "Show me a funny video of a yellow cartoon dad that likes beer and donuts" and I got back "This content may violate our guardrails concerning similarity to third-party content."
I'm also skeptical that this opt-in method will work all that well, aside from in the more obvious cases that pose the greatest risk of litigation like Disney. All of these materials are clearly already in the training data!
October 6, 2025 at 10:13 PM
FWIW, it looks like they're actually going EXTRA restrictive at the moment. Example: I just asked Sora 2 to "Show me a funny video of a yellow cartoon dad that likes beer and donuts" and I got back "This content may violate our guardrails concerning similarity to third-party content."
Facing backlash, OpenAI reverses course: rightsholders will decide whether their characters can appear in Sora 2, with revenue sharing for those who opt in. But will copyright owners hand over their IP to be freely manipulated for a slice of ad revenue? copyrightlately.com/openai-backt...
Sora, Not Sorry: OpenAI Backtracks on Opt-Out Copyright Policy
OpenAI, facing backlash, will now let rightsholders decide whether their characters appear in Sora 2, with revenue sharing for those who opt in.
copyrightlately.com
October 5, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Facing backlash, OpenAI reverses course: rightsholders will decide whether their characters can appear in Sora 2, with revenue sharing for those who opt in. But will copyright owners hand over their IP to be freely manipulated for a slice of ad revenue? copyrightlately.com/openai-backt...
But that’s a massive if. There’s a world of difference between studios collecting YouTube ad revenue on video clips they produce and control, and handing over their characters for anyone to freely manipulate.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately: copyrightlately.com/openai-backt...
Full story up now on Copyright Lately: copyrightlately.com/openai-backt...
Sora, Not Sorry: OpenAI Backtracks on Opt-Out Copyright Policy
OpenAI, facing backlash, will now let rightsholders decide whether their characters appear in Sora 2, with revenue sharing for those who opt in.
copyrightlately.com
October 5, 2025 at 1:11 AM
But that’s a massive if. There’s a world of difference between studios collecting YouTube ad revenue on video clips they produce and control, and handing over their characters for anyone to freely manipulate.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately: copyrightlately.com/openai-backt...
Full story up now on Copyright Lately: copyrightlately.com/openai-backt...
It would be a big win for OpenAI, assuming content owners play along.
October 5, 2025 at 1:11 AM
It would be a big win for OpenAI, assuming content owners play along.
If studios become partners rather than adversaries, OpenAI can potentially offset costs while buying legal cover not only for the outputs, but maybe even retroactive blessing for the unauthorized training as well.
October 5, 2025 at 1:10 AM
If studios become partners rather than adversaries, OpenAI can potentially offset costs while buying legal cover not only for the outputs, but maybe even retroactive blessing for the unauthorized training as well.
Users are generating far more videos than expected, using massive compute resources on content that's often being generated for very small audiences (it is, after all, a social media app).
October 5, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Users are generating far more videos than expected, using massive compute resources on content that's often being generated for very small audiences (it is, after all, a social media app).
The reversal came with no apology—just Sam Altman chalking it up to "taking feedback." Meanwhile, he admitted the real issue:
October 5, 2025 at 1:10 AM
The reversal came with no apology—just Sam Altman chalking it up to "taking feedback." Meanwhile, he admitted the real issue:
Testing the app this week revealed the strategy: Launch without guardrails. Let Family Guy, South Park and Pikachu videos drive engagement and media coverage. Hit #1 on the App Store (for an invite only app). Then implement restrictions once you've captured the market.
October 5, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Testing the app this week revealed the strategy: Launch without guardrails. Let Family Guy, South Park and Pikachu videos drive engagement and media coverage. Hit #1 on the App Store (for an invite only app). Then implement restrictions once you've captured the market.
Late Friday, the company announced it will move to an opt-in model requiring permission before copyrighted characters can appear in Sora 2 videos.
October 5, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Late Friday, the company announced it will move to an opt-in model requiring permission before copyrighted characters can appear in Sora 2 videos.
What a wild week in AI and copyright. Just three days after launching its new Sora 2 AI video app with a brazen policy that let users create videos featuring copyrighted characters unless rightsholders explicitly opted out, OpenAI has slammed the brakes.
October 5, 2025 at 1:08 AM
What a wild week in AI and copyright. Just three days after launching its new Sora 2 AI video app with a brazen policy that let users create videos featuring copyrighted characters unless rightsholders explicitly opted out, OpenAI has slammed the brakes.
My Q&A with Puck's Matt Belloni, and why OpenAI's Sora 2 might be Hollywood's biggest copyright test since YouTube. Up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/sora-2-copyr...
@mattbelloni.bsky.social
copyrightlately.com/sora-2-copyr...
@mattbelloni.bsky.social
Is Sora 2 the Entertainment Industry's Next "Lazy Sunday" Moment?
My Q&A with Puck's Matt Belloni on why OpenAI's Sora 2 could be Hollywood's biggest copyright test since YouTube
copyrightlately.com
October 3, 2025 at 4:30 PM
My Q&A with Puck's Matt Belloni, and why OpenAI's Sora 2 might be Hollywood's biggest copyright test since YouTube. Up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/sora-2-copyr...
@mattbelloni.bsky.social
copyrightlately.com/sora-2-copyr...
@mattbelloni.bsky.social
Everything beyond some pretty skeletal prompting was Sora. Wild.
October 1, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Everything beyond some pretty skeletal prompting was Sora. Wild.
I tested OpenAI’s new Sora 2 video app. Within minutes I was generating branded cartoon clips. Hollywood’s AI headache just got animated.
copyrightlately.com/new-sora-ai-...
copyrightlately.com/new-sora-ai-...
New Sora AI App Forces Hollywood to Opt Out or Get Played
I tested OpenAI's new Sora 2 video app. Within minutes I was generating branded cartoon clips. Hollywood's AI headache just got animated.
copyrightlately.com
October 1, 2025 at 8:45 AM
I tested OpenAI’s new Sora 2 video app. Within minutes I was generating branded cartoon clips. Hollywood’s AI headache just got animated.
copyrightlately.com/new-sora-ai-...
copyrightlately.com/new-sora-ai-...
An artist claimed concept art for Disney's new Lion King ride infringed her concept art for a new Lion King ride—which was itself based on Disney's Lion King.
It didn't work out so well.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/pride-rock-p...
It didn't work out so well.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/pride-rock-p...
Pride Rock Plunge: Theme Park Dreams Meet Copyright Reality
A judge dismissed an artist's lawsuit over a 'Lion King' ride concept, finding no substantial similarity after filtering out Disney's own IP.
copyrightlately.com
September 29, 2025 at 5:02 PM
An artist claimed concept art for Disney's new Lion King ride infringed her concept art for a new Lion King ride—which was itself based on Disney's Lion King.
It didn't work out so well.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/pride-rock-p...
It didn't work out so well.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/pride-rock-p...
Fair use wins, exclusivity loses, the Ninth Circuit finally publishes, and the future of a psychic network’s lawsuit looks hazy. Time to catch up.
copyrightlately.com/whats-up-wit...
copyrightlately.com/whats-up-wit...
What’s Up With Copyright Lately?: Sweater Weather Edition
Fair use wins, exclusivity loses, the 9th Circuit finally publishes, and the future of a psychic network's lawsuit looks hazy. Time to catch up.
copyrightlately.com
September 21, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Fair use wins, exclusivity loses, the Ninth Circuit finally publishes, and the future of a psychic network’s lawsuit looks hazy. Time to catch up.
copyrightlately.com/whats-up-wit...
copyrightlately.com/whats-up-wit...
Anthropic's $1.5 billion copyright settlement is simultaneously groundbreaking and trivial, a paradox that reveals how AI has fundamentally altered the economics of copyright infringement.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/anthropic-se...
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/anthropic-se...
Anthropic’s $1.5 Billion Speeding Ticket
It’s the largest copyright settlement in history. But for Anthropic, it’s a toll booth, not a stop sign.
copyrightlately.com
September 8, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Anthropic's $1.5 billion copyright settlement is simultaneously groundbreaking and trivial, a paradox that reveals how AI has fundamentally altered the economics of copyright infringement.
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/anthropic-se...
Full story up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/anthropic-se...
Trump just lost a copyright lawsuit claiming ownership over his own recorded words in the Woodward interviews. Full story, up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/trump-loses-copyright-fight-over-woodward-interview-recordings/
copyrightlately.com/trump-loses-copyright-fight-over-woodward-interview-recordings/
July 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Trump just lost a copyright lawsuit claiming ownership over his own recorded words in the Woodward interviews. Full story, up now on Copyright Lately:
copyrightlately.com/trump-loses-copyright-fight-over-woodward-interview-recordings/
copyrightlately.com/trump-loses-copyright-fight-over-woodward-interview-recordings/