If you’re just learnin about the video game strike, I wanna clarify a key detail I’ve seen get distorted a lot: Generally, the *developer* decides whether to sign an interim agreement, not the recording studio. Often, the studio is only a middleman. They do not set this term.
A recording studio may offer AI protections in its own contract with the actor, but this ultimately means very little, because
A) the developer owns the final recordings, not the recording studio. They cannot dictate how the developer uses that audio.
Mar 12, 2025 19:23B) If the developer does violate the AI protection clauses in that contract, then the burden of enforcement would be on the actor. Often, that means one guy having to lawyer up against a multi-million/billion dollar company.
This is what we mean by “enforceable” AI protections. Because while we are deeply grateful for any recording studio’s personal support in this strike, the fact remains they do not have the power or resources to protect us, or meaningfully enforce any AI clauses in their contracts
Currently, only a SAG interim agreement can effectively do that, as it would be backed by the union’s legal resources, and can meet any violation by a big company on the appropriate scale.
That’s why actors are holding the line, and why outrage at a recording studio ain’t it.
