A major move by Disney and Google has unfolded around the rights to Disney-owned characters in AI-generated content. Google has removed dozens of videos created with AI that depicted beloved Disney characters after receiving a formal cease-and-desist letter from Disney on the same day. Disney pointed to the YouTube links in its notice and demanded immediate takedowns. The affected videos featured iconic figures such as Mickey Mouse, Deadpool, and characters from Star Wars and The Simpsons, many of which were produced with Google’s AI video tool, Veo.
Initially, the links remained active on Thursday, but they now redirect to a notice stating, “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Disney.” This development comes just before Disney announced a licensing agreement to permit OpenAI to use 200 character profiles for generating short AI clips, signaling a broader strategy to control how its characters are used in AI contexts.
Disney has been clear about drawing a boundary against unlicensed AI use of its characters. The cease-and-desist letter also lists numerous other characters they want removed from YouTube and YouTube Shorts, including characters from Frozen, Moana, Toy Story, Deadpool, Iron Man, Lilo & Stitch, and Winnie the Pooh.
In response, Google said it would collaborate with Disney on the matter. A spokesperson noted Google’s long-standing partnership with Disney and stated that Google will continue to engage with them. Google emphasized that it relies on publicly available data from the open web to train its AI and has implemented copyright tools like Google-extended and YouTube’s Content ID to give rights holders control over their content.
Disney has also pressed for safeguards to prevent its characters from being generated by AI tools and for Google to halt using Disney properties to train its models. The studios’ stance highlights ongoing tensions between AI innovation and intellectual property rights.
Would you support stronger protections for character IP in AI tooling, or do you think licensing deals like the one with OpenAI strike the right balance between creativity and rights protection? Share your thoughts.
