Disney has stopped Google’s Gemini and Nano Banana tools from generating images featuring its characters after a December cease-and-desist letter accused Google of allowing its models to function as an unlicensed “virtual vending machine” for Disney intellectual property.
The 32-page warning demanded that Google stop producing unlicensed character imagery, cease training its models on Disney content, and implement safeguards to prevent future unauthorized use. Disney said the models had reproduced copyrighted works at scale and that the company had raised concerns for months without meaningful progress. In response, Google tightened its content filters. Prompts that previously yielded high-quality images of Disney characters now return denial messages citing “concerns from third-party content providers.”
Google publicly assured Disney and other rights holders that it is developing stronger copyright controls, comparing the effort to Content ID, which would allow rights holders to manage usage of their material. Google disputed Disney’s training allegation, stating that its models are trained on publicly available web data and acknowledging that such data may include Disney-related material. The company did not admit to using Disney’s copyrighted assets without permission but indicated that the policy changes were a direct result of the legal pressure.
Users have identified limited workarounds, such as uploading an existing image of a Disney character—e.g., Buzz Lightyear—and applying a “figurine” prompt to generate a virtual toy. These methods do not restore the broader ability to create new images from text prompts alone, and the loopholes remain constrained. The combined actions suggest a shift away from the previously unregulated “Wild West” environment of AI image creation toward a more fragmented landscape.
Each AI platform may adopt distinct rules based on ongoing negotiations with rights holders, resulting in variable access to character generation across services. Disney has pursued its own generative-AI strategy. The entertainment conglomerate recently signed a $1 billion licensing agreement with OpenAI, authorizing the use of Disney characters in OpenAI’s video-generation system Sora.
The deal underscores Disney’s interest in leveraging generative AI while retaining control over its intellectual property. Disney’s legal pressure has effectively halted the production of Disney character images through Google’s tools, and Google’s policy adjustments indicate a move toward more robust copyright enforcement. The outcome reflects broader industry tensions between AI developers seeking expansive training data and content owners demanding protection of their copyrighted works.
