ChatGPT’s Ghibli-Style Images Are Testing Copyright Law

Last month, a flood of whimsical, dreamlike portraits in the style of Studio Ghibli (the Japanese animation studio) swept across social media. What began as a playful social trend quickly raised legal concerns. Within days, users began reporting that OpenAI had restricted prompts referencing specific artistic styles. This trend offers a live case study of how generative AI may implicate core doctrines of copyright law, including derivative works, substantial similarity, and fair use.

6 minute read April 30, 2025 at 11:05 PM

Saishruti Mutneja and Raghav Gurbaxani

Last month, a flood of whimsical, dreamlike portraits in the style of Studio Ghibli (the Japanese animation studio) swept across social media.

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ChatGPT’s Ghibli-Style Images Are Testing Copyright Law

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Applying the Zero Trust Model to Manage Risks of Agentic AI

California’s AI Transparency Stack: From State Obligation to Adoption Strategy