{"id":4167,"date":"2026-04-23T14:52:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/jsel\/?p=4167"},"modified":"2026-04-23T14:52:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:52:20","slug":"entertainment-litigators-discuss-ai-copyright-and-the-future-of-entertainment-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/jsel\/2026\/04\/entertainment-litigators-discuss-ai-copyright-and-the-future-of-entertainment-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Entertainment Litigators Discuss AI, Copyright, and the Future of Entertainment Law"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Written by Caroline Heffernan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 JSEL Entertainment Law Symposium concluded on Thursday, April 2, with a  conversation on artificial intelligence featuring entertainment litigators Katherine Forrest and Kimberly Meyer (\u201915).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meyer and Forrest work with AI from opposite sides of the industry. Meyer, who represented Scarlett Johansson in her lawsuit against OpenAI, focuses on talent-side disputes. In contrast, Forrest represents AI model developers. These distinct perspectives set the stage for a balanced and engaging discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked whether copyright law is equipped to handle AI, Forrest emphasized the flexibility of common law and fair use while acknowledging potential gaps in the existing doctrine. She brought student\u2019s attention to the March 2026 White House National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, which suggests that courts, rather than Congress, resolve many of these issues (at least in the near term).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meyer agreed the system is generally functional but pointed to fairness concerns when creators’ work is used to train AI without compensation. She also highlighted the lack of clear protection for noncommercial misappropriation of likeness, particularly in the context of deepfakes, a video or image that appropriates a person\u2019s appearance or voice and digitally alters it for malicious purposes or to spread false information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both speakers identified the fourth fair use factor, market harm, as a critical and unsettled issue. Forrest described ongoing debates over whether harm should turn on substantial similarity or broader substitutability, a distinction that may prove decisive in future litigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, Meyer suggested that contracting will play a central role in resolving copyright disputes. She pointed to emerging licensing deals between technology companies and content owners, such as Disney and Sora. Forrest added that different uses of AI, such as training and output, may create distinct licensing schemes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The panelists closed with advice for students entering a rapidly evolving field. In a conversation centered on a technology that often standardizes and homogenizes information, both Meyer and Forrest ultimately emphasized the enduring importance of individuality and intellectual curiosity in shaping both legal practice and creative expression.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Caroline
\nHeffernan<\/strong>
\n <\/p>\n

\nThe 2026 JSEL Entertainment Law Symposium concluded on Thursday, April 2, with a \u00a0conversation on artificial intelligence featuring entertainment litigators Katherine Forrest and Kimberly Meyer (\u201915).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":4170,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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