Major Hollywood studios including Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, and Sony Pictures have decided not to stop the distribution of videos created using generative AI and published on YouTube, despite evidence of copyright infringement. Instead of filing complaints to remove such content, the studios demanded that the video hosting service redirect advertising revenue from these videos to their own benefit, effectively legitimizing the presence of unauthorized content on the platform.
Image source: Allison Saeng / Unsplash
The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) condemned the studios’ actions, emphasizing that the videos use actors’ digital likenesses without their consent. This comes amid the guild’s efforts to include provisions on the use of AI in contracts. The videos are an example of the exploitation of actors’ appearances and voices without legal basis, which violates both ethical standards and the interests of the association’s members.
The YouTube channels Screen Culture and KH Studio feature fake trailers that mimic announcements of new films or sequels to popular franchises. Screen Culture has 1.4 million subscribers and about 1.4 billion views. KH Studio has 683,000 subscribers and more than 560 million views. The videos follow a typical pattern: a montage of real clips from existing films and TV shows, supplemented with AI-generated footage. Some videos are based on real films whose official trailers are already available, such as Superman and Jurassic World: Rebirth, while others are completely fictitious.
Image source: YouTube / Screen Culture
Two days after Deadline published its investigation, YouTube stopped monetizing both channels. According to the platform’s official position, the YouTube channels in question were removed from the partner program for violating monetization policies. YouTube’s rules prohibit the creation of duplicate or repetitive content, as well as videos made solely for the purpose of gaining views. Authors are required to make significant changes to borrowed materials and avoid publishing content that could mislead viewers.
YouTube’s misinformation policy prohibits creators from posting videos that could be perceived as official if they are not. In the case of these YouTube channels, the fake trailers were designed in such a way that viewers could mistake them for real productions from film studios. Both channels may appeal the suspension of their advertising payments. After the partner program was suspended, KH Studio changed the titles of its last three videos to include the term “concept trailer” instead of the previously used “first trailer.”
In its statement, SAG-AFTRA said it expects studios to take proactive action to protect the rights of their members. The organization emphasized that the monetization of unauthorized, unwanted, and low-quality uses of intellectual property undermines the industry. According to the guild, such practices incentivize short-term interests of tech companies at the expense of systemic protection of the products of human labor.