The mods of r/ChatGPT, a subreddit for ChatGPT and OpenAI discussions with 5.4 million members, received a copyright strike from Reddit for using ChatGPT's logo as its profile picture. As first reported by 404 Media, r/ChatGPT's mods posted a thumbs-up emoji with the screenshot on the r/ChatGPT subreddit saying, "We have received a copyright complaint from openai.com alleging unauthorized use of their copyrighted logos in r/ChatGPT."
The r/ChatGPT subreddit has no affiliation with OpenAI, so using the ChatGPT logo might confuse some users. However, it explicitly points this out in its description and disclaimer widget. Nevertheless, someone sent a takedown request to r/ChatGPT, meaning the subreddit must change its logo. In line with this, the mods started a competition among its Redditors for a new non-infringing profile photo.
According to the u/HOLUPREDICTIONS, the mod who posted the screenshot, "most of the OpenAI employees I have talked to have been super nice and appreciative of the subreddit. It could very well be an issue on Reddit's end since they do not verify if the copyright claim is even coming from the company so that anyone can add any email address apparently: https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/vdtpan/copyright_infringement_dmca_reports/." They added, "Very odd that out of r/OpenAI, r/GPT3, and other subreddits, only r/ChatGPT received this message."
If you check Reddit's support desk, you can easily claim copyright even if you don't have a Reddit account. All you need is a valid email address and the details of your inquiry. While Reddit does not detail how it processes these reports, u/Chasith requested two years ago on r/ModSupport that the DCMA submitter should at least verify that they indeed own the copyright on their takedown request.
Because of this, we're unsure who submitted the copyright claim. However, the community's backlash against the OpenAI has been swift and brutal. For example, u/Elsa_Versailles commented, "Ironic for a company who scraped the entire internet." u/ABenevolentDespot also added, "We paused for a moment from our relentless theft of all copyrighted IP in the entire world and noticed someone is stealing our copyrighted IP. We need them to stop doing that."
OpenAI is currently contending with several lawsuits related to copyright infringement. In mid-2023, several authors sued the company for unauthorized use of their work for training ChatGPT. Furthermore, the New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, which has poured billions into the AI startup, because ChatGPT and Copilot, their respective LLMs, output articles that are similar to, or worse, the same as, what the former has published.
However, one day after sharing the screenshot, one of the mods gave an update that said OpenAI has officially let r/ChatGPT use its logo. The copyright strike is no longer applicable as the subreddit received official permission, meaning it can keep using the ChatGPT logo as its profile picture.
It is good news for the community, especially as OpenAI recognizes how valuable the subreddit is for ChatGPT and the company. As a testament to this, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman went live on the r/ChatGPT subreddit to answer questions about its Model Spec document, which "specifies desired behavior for our models in the OpenAI API and ChatGPT."
Copyright and AI are complex issues, especially as companies like Google fight to make AI scraping fall under 'Fair Use.' However, AI is so potent that no human can compete with it regarding raw brainpower. With experts forecasting that the AI industry will grow into trillions of dollars in the next ten years, much is at stake in how we as a society will train it today.
