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 May 01, 2025 at 12:05 AM
By
Saishruti Mutneja and Raghav Gurbaxani
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.

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