The Walt Disney Company has launched a major legal attack against Google, accusing the internet giant of committing “copyright infringement on a massive scale” by using Disney’s protected works to train its generative AI models and commercially exploit infringing images and videos.
The claim was delivered in a cease-and-desist letter on Wednesday, demanding that Google immediately stop unauthorized copying and distribution across all its AI services, including its integration within YouTube and YouTube Shorts. Disney alleges that Google’s AI can generate unauthorized copies of characters from major franchises like Frozen, Marvel, and Star Wars (citing an example of a generated Darth Vader image).
Disney is accusing Google of copyright infringement on a “massive scale,” alleging the company used its AI models and services to “commercially exploit and distribute” unauthorized images and videos.
Lawyers for Disney delivered a cease-and-desist letter to Google on Wednesday… pic.twitter.com/hHTmP70ykJ
— Variety (@Variety) December 11, 2025
This aggressive action against Google comes on the heels of Disney’s $1 billion equity investment and three-year licensing agreement with rival AI firm OpenAI (the maker of Sora and ChatGPT), a move that represents a clear strategic shift: fighting unauthorized use in court while simultaneously embracing and monetizing the technology through exclusive partnerships.
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Disney’s letter explicitly states it “will not tolerate the unauthorized commercial exploitation of its copyrighted characters,” positioning the battle with Google, following similar demands made to Meta and Character.AI, as a necessary step to protect its intellectual property from alleged free-riders.
