Disney sent cease and desist letter to Character.AI over use of copyrighted characters

Core Viewpoint - The Walt Disney Company is actively protecting its intellectual property rights against unauthorized use by AI startups, exemplified by a cease and desist letter sent to Character.AI for using copyrighted characters without permission [1][2]. Group 1: Disney's Actions - Disney sent a cease and desist letter to Character.AI, warning the startup to stop using copyrighted characters [1]. - The company is involved in an ongoing lawsuit against Midjourney, alleging improper use and distribution of AI-generated characters from its films [3]. Group 2: Character.AI's Response - Character.AI has removed the characters mentioned in Disney's letter and stated that it aims to partner with rightsholders to enhance engagement with their intellectual property [2]. - The spokesperson for Character.AI acknowledged that while some characters are original, others are inspired by existing beloved characters [2].