Cate Blanchettbacked group and stars back NYT suit
The Cate Blanchettbacked group and Hollywood allies filed a 31-page amicus brief supporting the New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft, arguing the companies mischaracterize licensing as impossible when creative industries already have proven infrastructure to clear rights at scale.
According to Variety, the Human Consent Foundation — the Cate Blanchett-backed nonprofit working to protect individual likenesses from unauthorized AI scraping — joined a legion of Hollywood companies in the filing. The brief landed in the Southern District of New York late Friday.
Key Takeaways
- The Human Consent Foundation and Hollywood allies filed a 31-page amicus brief backing the Times against OpenAI and Microsoft.
- CAA, the Music Artists Coalition, NAVA, Writer, Inc., and the Creative Coalition on AI joined the filing.
- An appendix lists stars including Anne Hathaway, Emma Thompson, Dan Levy, Ron Howard, Madonna, and Olivia Wilde.
- The brief says creative industries already have proven infrastructure to license AI training content at scale.
- The move follows a separate Thursday brief from SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, and the AFM.
What Did the Cate Blanchettbacked Group and Allies Argue?
OpenAI and Microsoft have argued that licensing creative works for AI training is cost-prohibitive and that there is no settled way to value training data. The amicus brief calls those claims mischaracterizations in light of an active licensing market.
“The creative industries already have in place a proven infrastructure and workflows to clear rights for dispersed works at scale and cost-effectively,” the brief said, per Variety. That framing is central for rights holders watching AI training fights across film, TV, and streaming.
Which Hollywood Names Backed the New York Times Filing?
Beyond the Human Consent Foundation, the coalition includes major industry players and advocacy groups. CAA signed on, alongside the Music Artists Coalition, the National Association of Voice Actors, Writer, Inc., and the Creative Coalition on AI.
The brief’s appendix features a suite of high-profile supporters, among them Anne Hathaway, Emma Thompson, Dan Levy, Ron Howard, Madonna, Olivia Wilde, and more. The filing supports the Times’ request for summary judgment in the case.
Why Does This Matter for Streaming and TV Creators?
The dispute sits at the center of how AI companies may use copyrighted journalism and entertainment material. For creators and studios tracked in our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage, the brief pushes a clear alternative: license through existing Hollywood pipelines rather than treat training data as free.
It also arrives a day after SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America, and the American Federation of Musicians filed their own brief against OpenAI and Microsoft. Those unions warned that a broad fair-use win “would render moot the terms the unions and the industry agreed to at the bargaining table” and would harm copyright owners and the people who create the work.
Together, the filings signal a widening entertainment-industry push to force AI firms toward negotiated licenses instead of scraping-first models.