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ARTICLE · 14 JANUARY 2026

Why Disney Told Google To Stop Using Its IP While Making A Deal With OpenAI

Marks Gray
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This one was so big that you may have already heard about it even if you do not have your ear to the ground for IP news. In December 2025, The Walt Disney Company sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google alleging...

United StatesIntellectual Property
Crystal T. Broughan
Crystal T. Broughan

This one was so big that you may have already heard about it even if you do not have your ear to the ground for IP news. In December 2025, The Walt Disney Company sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google alleging unauthorized use of Disney's copyrighted works in connection with Google's artificial intelligence systems. Then, almost immediately after news of that dispute surfaced, Disney announced that it was working with OpenAI.

At first glance, the sequence appeared contradictory. Why would Disney tell one technology company to stop while partnering with another? For businesses watching the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, the answer offers an important lesson about copyright law, licensing, and control in the AI era.

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