Disney has accused Google of using its AI tools to reproduce Disney characters at scale, prompting the company to issue a cease-and-desist letter that pushes the two giants into a new copyright fight. The clash centers on how Google trains its AI systems and what those systems generate.
According to Variety, Disney’s letter alleged Google used copyrighted works to train its AI models and enabled users to create unauthorized images through Google’s AI products, setting the stage for a public dispute over content ownership and AI development. The filing also noted that the issue had been raised privately for months and that “Google’s infringement has only increased during that time.”
Virtual vending machine
A wide range of well-known characters are cited as appearing in outputs from Google’s AI services. The filing listed everything from Frozen and The Lion King to Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, and The Simpsons among the examples.
Disney also demanded that Google stop “publicly displaying, publicly performing, distributing, and creating derivative works” of its characters through any AI service or platform. The letter included examples allegedly generated by prompts in Gemini, YouTube’s mobile app Shorts, and other Google products.
Disney’s attorneys argued that the outputs function like a “virtual vending machine,” capable of reproducing its characters on demand, and are sometimes stamped with the Gemini logo, which they said could imply a relationship that doesn’t exist.
Images from a viral “figurine” trend were attached as evidence, with the company claiming Google promoted the craze and even supplied prompts that made it easier to generate look-alike characters.
The letter called for the tech titan to add technical safeguards across its AI services — and any products connected to them — to block future unauthorized use of Disney’s works.
Courtesies exchanged, issues unchanged
Google noted the history between the two companies, telling Variety, “We have a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship… and will continue to engage with them.” The company also defended its AI approach, saying it “use[s] public data from the open web to build our AI” and highlighting tools like Google-Extended and Content ID as ways for rights holders to manage their material.
The filing said Disney had raised its concerns for months without progress, and that “Google’s infringement has only increased during that time.” In a separate interview with CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger echoed that frustration, saying, “We didn’t really make any progress… we felt we had no choice but to send them a cease-and-desist.”
A strategy built on fences and bridges
The confrontation fit into a pattern that has been building for months. In June, Disney filed suit with Universal against Midjourney, accusing the AI firm of using its copyrighted material without permission.
But the House of Mouse isn’t closing its doors to AI entirely. Just recently, it entered a billion-dollar arrangement with OpenAI that sets out when and how its characters can appear in AI-driven projects. Disney is still willing to experiment, so long as the invitations come through channels it trusts.
OpenAI’s newest model expands context so dramatically that enterprise coding now fits into a single sweep.