Deep seabed mining is a lucrative enterprise aimed at extracting nodules of valuable mineral deposits embedded in the ocean floor. (Sachi Mulkey, N.Y. Times). These nodules contain critical minerals, such as cobalt, manganese, copper, and nickel, which are essential to the manufacturing of modern batteries used in smartphones or electric vehicles. (Steven Barringer & Courtney Shephard, Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Sachi Mulkey, N.Y. Times). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) regulates the exploration and recovery of these critical minerals and issues permits for deep seabed mining. (15 C.F.R. 904.1). This post examines the (i) concerns of deep seabed mining; (ii) NOAA’s mandate and regulation focusing on the original two-step sequential process for exploration and recovery permits; (iii) the new "consolidated application process"; (iv) how the procedural shift fits into the “America First” agenda; (v) and the public concerns aligned with consequences of the accelerated application process.

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Actors are increasingly seeing videos of themselves, but they don’t remember taking them. This is an issue Hollywood actors, talent agencies, and studios are facing with artificial intelligence (“AI”), specifically OpenAI’s Sora 2. (Wendy Lee and Samantha Masunaga, LA Times). Sora 2 generates realistic videos with synchronized audio from user-entered text prompts. (OpenAI). Sora 2 has technology that can generate recognizable properties or likenesses into deepfakes — either friends, copyrighted characters, or famous likenesses. (Winston Cho, Hollywood Reporter). A deepfake is a video that seems authentic but has been manipulated by AI; sometimes used for disinformation or extortion. (Government Accountability Office, Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics). In one such video, viewers can see Michael Jackson interacting with Bryan Cranston, of “Breaking Bad.” (Wendy Lee and Samantha Masunaga, LA Times). Thus, the controversy revolves around who owns the copyrighted images and human likenesses that are utilized to create such videos. Id. This post will discuss a brief overview of copyright law; why Sora 2 is alarming Hollywood; how agencies and studios are protecting their clients and intellectual property; and the implications of the rising use of Sora 2 and similar technologies.

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