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The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has issued a rallying call to Hollywood studios, urging them to confront tech companies accused of using copyrighted screenplays and television scripts to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems without permission.
WGA Sends Letter to Studios, Urging Lawsuits Against AI Plagiarism: 'Inaction has Harmed WGA Members' https://t.co/TPY1saN5t2
— Variety (@Variety) December 12, 2024
In a strongly worded letter addressed to industry titans including Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Paramount Global, Netflix, and Amazon MGM Studios, the guild referenced a recent exposé by The Atlantic. The article alleged that corporations such as Apple, Meta, Nvidia, and Anthropic trained AI models using dialogue from over 53,000 films and 85,000 TV episodes.
“Wholesale Theft” of Writers’ Work
The WGA letter accused these companies of “looting” intellectual property created by generations of union labor, turning it into a resource for billion-dollar AI ventures. The guild further charged studios with failing to uphold their responsibility under the 2023 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to defend writers’ copyrights.
“Having amassed billions in capital on this foundation of wholesale theft, these tech companies now seek to sell back to the studios highly-priced services that plagiarize stolen works,” the letter stated.
Studios Held Accountable
The WGA’s CBA explicitly requires studios to safeguard copyrighted materials written by guild members. Article 50 of the agreement places these rights “in trust” with the studios, obligating them to take action against unauthorized uses, including AI training.
The guild underscored the studios’ inaction, highlighting the irony of an industry that has long waged battles against piracy now allowing unchecked AI-related copyright infringement.
Hollywood in Legal Crosshairs
This development intensifies the growing tension between Hollywood and the tech sector over AI’s role in content creation. Earlier this year, the WGA strike, which lasted over 140 days, brought AI guardrails to the forefront of union negotiations, solidifying provisions to protect writers from replacement by AI.
While studios have yet to publicly respond to the letter, industry insiders predict that the WGA’s move could catalyze legal actions against major tech firms.
Broader Implications for Creative Industries
The debate is emblematic of a larger global struggle to balance AI innovation with ethical and legal responsibilities. By drawing attention to potential copyright violations, the WGA seeks to ensure that creators receive fair compensation and acknowledgment in the age of AI-driven technologies.
WGA’s Full Letter
The WGA’s full letter, which includes detailed accusations and legal arguments, can be read below.
Yesterday, the WGA sent the following letter to the CEOs of Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Paramount Global, NBCUniversal, Sony, Netflix, and Amazon MGM Studios:
The November 18 Atlantic article “There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing is Powering AI” confirms what was already clear to so many: tech companies have looted the studios’ intellectual property—a vast reserve of works created by generations of union labor—to train their artificial intelligence systems. Having amassed billions in capital on this foundation of wholesale theft, these tech companies now seek to sell back to the studios highly-priced services that plagiarize stolen works created by WGA members and Hollywood labor.
The studios, as copyright holders of works written by WGA members, have done nothing to stop this theft. They have allowed tech companies to plunder entire libraries without permission or compensation. The studios’ inaction has harmed WGA members.
The Guild’s collective bargaining agreement—the MBA—expressly requires the studios to defend their copyrights on behalf of writers. MBA Article 50 provides that the studios hold “in trust” rights reserved to certain writers of original works. Writers who have separated rights in those works under Article 16.B retain all other rights in the material, including the right to use the works to train AI systems. As holders of those rights in trust, the studios have a fiduciary obligation to protect against the unauthorized use of the works for AI training purposes.
It’s time for the studios to come off the sidelines. After this industry has spent decades fighting piracy, it cannot stand idly by while tech companies steal full libraries of content for their own financial gain. The studios should take immediate legal action against any company that has used our members’ works to train AI systems.
