WME Backs Licensing for AI Training in OpenAI Copyright Case

Nov 2, 2026
WME filed an amicus brief arguing that creators should control and receive compensation for the use of copyrighted work in AI training.

WME filed an amicus brief in the copyright litigation against OpenAI, arguing that AI companies should license creative work used to train their systems, according to Deadline. The talent agency submitted the brief on 30 October in the consolidated cases involving The New York Times, authors and other publishers.

WME said creators should decide whether and under what terms their protected work is used for AI training. Its filing cited licensing agreements between AI companies and rights holders as evidence that a market for training data already exists. "WME's position is therefore not that AI use of creative materials should be stopped, but that it should be licensed," the brief says.

The filing follows a joint brief from SAG-AFTRA, the American Federation of Musicians and the Writers Guilds of America East and West, which also opposed a broad fair use exemption for AI training. The position contrasts with a Justice Department filing supporting OpenAI's argument that training language models on copyrighted text can qualify as fair use.

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