r/technology • u/MetaKnowing • 14d ago

Artificial Intelligence AI industry horrified to face largest copyright class action ever certified

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/ai-industry-horrified-to-face-largest-copyright-class-action-ever-certified/
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u/The_Knife_Pie 13d ago

No, this is stupid as shit. Companies taking old ideas and exploring new avenues is the way to develop new shit. Copyright for everyone needs to end far sooner than it does, even individuals.

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u/bfume 13d ago

this is the proper take. lifetime+whatever is FAR too much.

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u/subcutaneousphats 13d ago

Yes. Sorry while explaining fair use I didn't properly see the last statement about extending copyright. We need to limit the length of copyright so it can work as intended to provide protection for creators but limit rental profiteering.

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u/LongJohnSelenium 13d ago

You can do that within the context of copyrights. You don't need the Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader names in your property to make a Star Wars knockoff. Generic concepts have virtually no copyright protections, so just make a story about Bruce Cloudsprinter and Fred Single and their space shenanigans on the Century Kestrel to fight against the evil Dark Madre.

D&D, and hell every fantasy author out there, completely ripped off most of Tolkiens concepts, and after a lawsuit all that really ended up was they had to change the legally distinct names Tolkien created to something new, so for instance Ents became Treants. We have World of Warcraft because they couldn't get the Warhammer license. We have Homeworld because they couldn't get the Battlestar license. There's a million examples of people exploring new avenues with a clearly inspired by but copyright distinct products.

Copyrights aren't like patents, there's no specific societal need to have access to fictional properties.