Why Disney has hit Google with a cease-and-desist letter
What's the story
Disney has accused Google of "massive" copyright infringement, according to Variety. The entertainment giant has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the tech titan, claiming it has used its AI models and services for commercial distribution of unauthorized images and videos. Disney's letter further alleges that Google's Gemini logo is being used on many infringing images generated by its AI services, misleadingly suggesting that this use of Disney's intellectual property is approved by the company.
Allegations detailed
Disney's letter details Google's alleged copyright infringement
The cease-and-desist letter from Disney's lawyers to Google's general counsel says, "Google is infringing Disney's copyrights on a massive scale, by copying a large corpus of Disney's copyrighted works without authorization to train and develop generative artificial intelligence ('AI') models and services." It further adds that Google uses these AI models and services to commercially exploit and distribute copies of protected works in violation of Disney's copyrights.
AI misuse
Disney accuses Google of using AI to replicate its characters
Disney's letter also accuses Google of using its AI models and services to replicate Disney's library of copyrighted characters on a mass scale. The letter reads, "Google operates as a virtual vending machine, capable of reproducing, rendering, and distributing copies of Disney's valuable library."
Character infringement
Disney lists characters allegedly infringed by Google's AI
The cease-and-desist letter from Disney's lawyers lists several popular characters that Google's AI systems have allegedly infringed. These include characters from Frozen, The Lion King, Moana, The Little Mermaid, Deadpool, and Guardians of the Galaxy, among others. This isn't the first time Disney has taken a stand against AI companies, as it had previously sent a cease-and-desist to Character. AI and sued Midjourney for copyright infringement.
Company stance
Google's response to Disney's allegations
In response to Disney's allegations, Google said it will "engage" with the company. A spokesperson for the tech giant said, "We have a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship with Disney, and will continue to engage with them." The spokesperson also claimed that they use public data from the open web to build their AI, and have built additional innovative copyright controls such as Google-extended and Content ID for YouTube.