The Japanese government requests OpenAI to avoid copyright infringement with Sora 2 - U.S. federal judge dismisses Upper Deck’s claims against Ravensburger over Disney L

The Japanese government requests OpenAI to avoid copyright infringement with Sora 2

The Japanese government has formally requested that OpenAI avoid copyright infringement with its Sora 2 video generator, following the widespread appearance of clips on social networks that reproduce images from protected anime and video game characters. The request was made by Minoru Kiuchi, the Minister of State for IP and AI Strategy, who described manga and anime as Japan's irreplaceable treasures of which the country is proud.

Sora 2 was launched in early October and can generate 20-second videos in 1080p with sound. Just hours after its release, videos featuring characters from hugely popular franchises such as One Piece, Demon Slayer, Pokémon and Mario began circulating on social media, setting off alarm bells among rights holders and Japanese policymakers. According to government officials, the aim of the request is to prevent the technology from being used to generate content that infringes Japanese IP rights.

In Japan, the relevant legal framework is the AI Promotion Act, which has been in force since September 2025. The law aims to encourage the development and use of AI in the country, while also setting out principles for addressing problematic applications, such as potential copyright infringement. Under Article 16, the government is empowered to investigate cases where the rights or interests of citizens are affected by the improper development or use of AI, and to consider countermeasures based on the results of the investigation. However, the law does not specify any penalties, instead calling for cooperation from the private sector. Indeed, several public officials have asked OpenAI to respond voluntarily. Digital Minister Masaaki Taira has suggested that, if there is no progress, measures under this law could be implemented. Meanwhile, lawmaker Akihisa Shiozaki has emphasised that the launch of Sora 2 reopens the debate on AI and copyright. He has also argued that, given its strengths in areas such as anime, video games, and music, Japan should take the lead in establishing clear rules in this area.

In early October, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed the concerns and announced changes to Sora 2, giving rightsholders more granular control, including the ability to specify how, or even if, their characters may be used. Altman described some of these uses as interactive fan fiction and acknowledged that there may be edge cases that require technical adjustments. However, OpenAI has not yet formally responded to the Japanese government’s request.

U.S. federal judge dismisses Upper Deck’s copyright case against Ravensburger over Disney Lorcana

The dispute over the Disney Lorcana trading card game has now largely been resolved in the United States. On one side is Upper Deck, an American veteran publisher of collectible card games such as Vs. System, World of Warcraft TCG and Legendary, and on the other is Ravensburger, the German publishing group behind Disney Lorcana. In the middle is Ryan Miller, a designer who worked as a freelancer for Upper Deck and later as a co-designer of Lorcana for Ravensburger.

The dispute began in June 2023 when Upper Deck filed a complaint in a Seattle federal court. The company alleged that Miller developed an internal TCG prototype called Rush of Ikorr while under contract with Upper Deck and, after beginning to collaborate with Ravensburger in 2020, reused rules, mechanics, and ideas from that project to create Lorcana, such as scoring by exhausting characters and certain equivalent abilities.

The case moved between state and federal courts throughout 2023 and 2024. In the meantime, Disney Lorcana was successfully launched in August 2023, and Rush of Ikorr reached the market in June 2025.

The turning point arrived on 3 October 2025. Federal Judge Kymberly Evanson granted summary judgment and dismissed all copyright claims against Ravensburger and Miller. The court emphasised a basic principle of copyright law: ideas, methods and game systems are not protected by copyright; only specific creative expressions, such as text, characters, narrative and artwork, are protected. The judge concluded that no reasonable person could find copyright infringement based on the alleged similarities.

Following this setback, Upper Deck attempted to revive the case by making a new claim of misappropriation of trade secrets against Ravensburger. However, on 15 October, the judge rejected the claim due to a lack of good cause and diligence. As a result, Ravensburger is no longer involved in the U.S. litigation. The only remaining issue is a separate breach-of-contract claim against Miller alone, which is set to go to trial during the second week of November. Nevertheless, Upper Deck has stated that it disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal. The company also plans to continue legal action in the United States and Europe, where it believes the intellectual property framework may be more favourable.