Japan says AI-generated Ghibli-style images are not copyright infringement
The Japanese government has spoken out regarding the increasing trend of using artificial intelligence to create illustrations that resemble the art style of Studio Ghibli films. This practice, often called “Ghiblification” on social media, has sparked debate over potential copyright issues.
On April 16, during a parliamentary session, Hirohiko Nakahara, Strategy Officer for Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, clarified that merely imitating Ghibli’s artistic style with AI-generated images does not automatically violate copyright law.
Japan says AI-generated Ghibli-style images are not copyright infringement
The topic was raised by opposition lawmaker Masato Imai, who asked how far AI-generated content can go before crossing into illegal territory. Nakahara explained that copyright law in Japan protects specific creative expressions—not general styles or artistic ideas.
However, he added that if an AI-generated image shows clear and substantial similarity to protected works, and is deemed to be directly based on them, then a court could still rule it as infringement.
This clarification comes shortly after OpenAI released a new image generation feature for ChatGPT in March, which allows users to create images using stylistic prompts. Since then, social media has seen a surge of AI-generated art “in the Ghibli style,” leading to legal concerns.
One of the people who complained a lot and asked for a lawsuit to be filed against ChatGPT in the face of Ghibli’s AI style was One Piece director Megumi Ishitani, who said that she “couldn’t stand to see Ghibli treated so cheaply.”
What does this mean for artists and content creators?
The Japanese government’s statement makes it clear that visual inspiration alone is not illegal, but the line between homage and direct copying can be thin. Artists using AI tools to generate images inspired by well-known franchises should proceed cautiously—especially in commercial contexts.
This move also highlights Japan’s growing interest in regulating the impact of generative AI, balancing technological innovation with the need to protect intellectual property.
via Você Sabia Anime
