AI Startups Court Studios as They Test the Limits of Copyright

Some of the most ambitious AI startups are staking their futures on the art, and lawyers, of Hollywood. Runway and ElevenLabs have each raised hundreds of millions of dollars, promising to transform video and audio creation, landing deals with the likes Netflix, Lionsgate, Merlin Network, In video and music: the industries where emotional stakes and copyright concerns are highest, these companies are chasing rapid adoption. This is even as unions, artists and judges scramble to define what AI can and cannot own. Runway made its name with demo reels of AI-generated action scenes and motion-capture animations. It converted that splash into a reported trial run with Netflix in July for special-effects shots. Plus, exploratory talks with Disney about integrating AI into its content produ