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AI meme character raises questions about copyright and human creativity

Source
The Guardian
Author
Not listed
Published
Oct 6, 2026, 2:00 PM UTC
Collected
Oct 6, 2026, 2:11 PM UTC
Original language
English
Country / region
Global · Global
AI Creativity and CopyrightAI Policy and RegulationAI in the Global South
Read the original at The Guardian

Summary

An international legal dispute involving the meme character Tung Tung Tung Sahur is raising questions about copyright and AI-assisted creativity. According to the available article preview, an Indonesian teenager known as Noxa created the character in 2025 using OpenAI’s image-generation tool. The character draws on a drum associated with Ramadan traditions in south-east Asia and appears in the online genre known as “Italian brain rot.” The preview says US copyright protection applies only to human creations but provides no details about the legal claims or proceedings.

Confirmed facts

  • The article preview describes Tung Tung Tung Sahur as the subject of an international legal dispute.
  • The preview attributes the character’s creation to an Indonesian teenager using the name Noxa, who used OpenAI’s image-generation tool in 2025.
  • According to the preview, the character is also called Triple T and belongs to the “Italian brain rot” video genre.
  • The preview identifies the character’s inspiration as a kentongan, a drum used to wake south-east Asian Muslims for a meal before dawn during Ramadan.
  • The preview states that US copyright law protects human-made creations rather than AI-generated creations alone.

Uncertainties

  • Drafted automatically from the outlet's feed preview — check against the full article before publishing.
  • The full article was unavailable, so the parties, jurisdictions and specific legal claims cannot be established from the preview.
  • The extent of Noxa’s human creative contribution beyond using an image-generation tool is not described.
  • The preview does not establish who holds any enforceable rights to the character.
  • No court ruling, settlement or current procedural status is provided.

Why it mattersAnalysis

The dispute highlights the boundary between human authorship and AI-generated material. Its treatment could matter to creators seeking protection for work made with AI tools.

Human impactAnalysis

Creators could face uncertainty about whether they can control the reuse of AI-assisted characters. Audiences and remix communities could also encounter questions about permission to adapt popular memes.

Educational relevanceAnalysis

The example could help learners distinguish between creating an image with an AI tool and establishing copyright ownership. It could also encourage discussion of the cultural traditions behind viral imagery.

Professional relevanceAnalysis

Artists, publishers and licensing teams could need to examine human creative contributions before relying on copyright protection for AI-assisted characters. The limited preview does not provide a legal outcome on which to base decisions.

Global South relevanceAnalysis

The involvement of an Indonesian creator could draw attention to how creators in the Global South navigate international intellectual-property disputes. The character’s regional inspiration could also prompt discussion about cultural context in globally circulating memes.

AI-assistance disclosure

This summary may have been assisted by AI-assisted tools for classification, translation, extraction, or drafting. The original source should be consulted. Human review and editorial judgment remain responsible for publication.

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