Character rights management is evolving with an AI video partnership between Disney and OpenAI worth $1 billion. The three-year licensing deal grants Sora access to over 200 characters while establishing new frameworks for IP management in the AI era.
The partnership announced Thursday allows Sora users to create short social videos featuring Disney characters based on text prompts. These AI-generated videos can be shared and viewed by fans, requiring Disney to develop new rights management approaches for AI-generated content using its characters. The licensing terms specifically exclude any use of talent likenesses or voices, demonstrating layered rights management.
Disney’s engagement with OpenAI encompasses operational transformation. The entertainment company will deploy OpenAI’s tools for new product development and experiences, while implementing ChatGPT for employee productivity. This comprehensive partnership requires Disney to evolve its character rights management for both licensing and internal AI applications.
CEO Bob Iger described the collaboration as marking an important moment for the entertainment sector. He emphasized Disney’s commitment to responsibly extending its storytelling capabilities through generative AI while protecting creators and their work. This rights management evolution could define how entertainment companies manage IP in AI contexts.
The entertainment industry has largely maintained distance from AI companies, worried about data usage and union relations. OpenAI has engaged with several major studios about Sora’s potential, but Disney’s partnership demonstrates the need for evolved rights management frameworks. The updated Sora platform, launched in September with invitation-only access, allows users to generate videos from text prompts, explore content from other users, and create realistic AI avatars with user-granted permissions.