How IP Rules Apply To AI-Generated Game Clones

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Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick said companies should protect their own and others’ intellectual property after IGN asked whether AI companies should prevent users from recreating commercial games. In the November 9 interview, he called the issue a creative concern rather than a financial threat to Take-Two, but did not name a specific clone, product or case.

The exchange took place in a phone interview with IGN managing editor Wesley Yin-Poole, published the evening Take-Two reported results for the quarter ended September 30, 2026. Yin-Poole first asked about reports of hackers using AI to clone games and the possibility of an unofficial PC version of Grand Theft Auto VI. Zelnick replied that he did not see it as a financial threat to the business, while saying it mattered to developers and consumers that Rockstar deliver the experience it intended. He added that Take-Two protects its intellectual property and was not treating the concern casually.

Yin-Poole then asked about Anthropic’s new Claude Code rule and whether OpenAI should adopt a similar restriction. Zelnick answered: “I think all companies should be protecting intellectual property, their own and everyone else’s.” He added that it seemed ironic for companies “in the intellectual property business” to “stomp on someone else’s IP and hope that yours is protected.” The source material says he did not explain what conduct he meant by that phrase or specify whether he was referring to user-created outputs, model development or another issue.

Anthropic’s Claude Code instruction, in place since version 2.1.317, published November 2, tells the model not to make “a recreation of a specific existing game” using its name, characters, art, music, levels or look, even if renamed or described as original. Anthropic grounds the instruction in its usage policy against infringing third-party intellectual property. OpenAI’s usage policies also bar attempts to infringe others’ intellectual property; the source reports no game-specific instruction in the open-source code of its Codex CLI agent.

Why Game Cloning Raises IP Stakes

The exchange addresses the difference between a broad rule against intellectual-property infringement and a specific safeguard aimed at recreating a named game. AI coding tools can assist users, but a tool’s policy does not by itself determine whether a particular output infringes copyright, trademarks or other rights. That depends on the work, the output and the facts of a given dispute.

For game publishers, potential concerns include control over characters, art, music, levels and the overall presentation of a title. Zelnick said the issue involved preserving the experience developers create for players. His remarks do not establish that a Take-Two game has been cloned using either company’s tools, and he said he did not view the threat as a financial matter for the business.

For players and developers, a model provider’s policy can set limits on how its tool should respond, while the legality of a particular recreation remains a separate question. Policy language is not a court ruling, and Zelnick’s general criticism is not evidence of a specific infringement finding.

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The Interview and Existing Rules

IGN published the interview on November 9, the same evening Take-Two announced its fiscal second-quarter results. The question about AI and piracy referred to hackers using AI to clone games faster and asked about an unofficial PC release of GTA VI. Zelnick’s response separated the potential impact on the company’s finances from what he called the creative stakes for developers and consumers.

On the company’s earnings call that day, an analyst asked about AI-assisted reverse engineering and game decompilation. Zelnick said piracy had historically been constrained by game file sizes, technical complexity and server connections, but added that it would become “more of a challenge.” He said Take-Two was “enhancing our technical defenses and enhancing our legal activities appropriately.” Those are the company’s stated responses; the source gives no further detail about specific measures.

Anthropic’s instruction addresses recreating a specific existing game, including if it is renamed. The source distinguishes that wording from the interview question’s reference to reverse engineering: the rule does not itself mention reverse engineering or decompiling. OpenAI’s cited policy is broader, prohibiting attempts to infringe intellectual-property rights, while the source found no comparable game-specific instruction in the Codex CLI code it reviewed.

“I think all companies should be protecting intellectual property, their own and everyone else’s.”

— Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Interactive CEO, in an interview with IGN

What the Remarks Do Not Establish

The source does not identify a Take-Two title that has been cloned with Claude, ChatGPT or another AI system. Zelnick did not name a product, a user, a legal dispute or a particular act of infringement. His reference to “stomp on someone else’s IP” is not defined in the interview, so it cannot be treated as a specific allegation that Anthropic or OpenAI enabled a particular clone.

It is also unclear how the policies would be applied to borderline requests, how consistently the tools enforce them, or what happens when users attempt to bypass restrictions. The source reports no public response from Anthropic or OpenAI to Zelnick’s comments as of 21:30 UTC on November 14, 2026. No court finding or legal outcome is described.

Policy Enforcement and Piracy Measures

Developments to watch include any response from Anthropic or OpenAI and whether either company changes or clarifies its rules for requests involving existing games. Take-Two said it plans to strengthen technical defenses and pursue legal activity as appropriate, though the source does not provide a schedule or list of planned actions.

Further reporting or legal proceedings would be needed to establish how these rules work in practice and whether a particular AI-generated game recreation violates someone’s rights. The interview disclosed no specific case involving a cloned Take-Two game.

Key Questions

What did Strauss Zelnick say about AI-generated game clones?

He said companies should protect their own and others’ intellectual property. He described cloning as a creative concern, not a financial threat to Take-Two.

Did Zelnick accuse Anthropic or OpenAI of cloning a Take-Two game?

No specific game, product or case was named. The source says he did not state that either company had been used to clone a Take-Two title.

What does Anthropic’s Claude Code rule prohibit?

The cited instruction tells Claude Code not to recreate a specific existing game using elements such as its name, characters, art, music, levels or look, even if the recreation is renamed or called original.

Does OpenAI have a game-specific rule?

OpenAI’s usage policies prohibit attempts to infringe others’ intellectual-property rights. The source reports that it found no game-specific instruction in the open-source Codex CLI code it reviewed.

What remains unknown?

The source does not establish how often the rules prevent game recreations, whether any specific Take-Two game has been cloned using AI, or how courts would assess a particular output. It also reports no public response from Anthropic or OpenAI as of November 14, 2026.

Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com