Technologies

Disney Slaps Google With Cease and Desist, Claiming ‘Massive’ Copyright Violations

Disney also has a new partnership to let OpenAI use its characters in its AI video tool.

As Disney inks a $1 billion deal with OpenAI to license its characters for AI videos, the entertainment giant is also going after Google. Disney sent Google a cease-and-desist letter Wednesday, alleging that Google AI models are infringing on its copyright protections on a «massive scale.»

«Google’s AI Services are designed to free ride off Disney’s intellectual property. Google has refused to implement any technological measures to mitigate or prevent copyright infringement, even though such measures are readily available and being used by Google’s competitors,» the letter reads. «Instead, Google continues to directly exploit Disney’s copyrights for commercial gain.»

Google has released a major overhaul to its AI products with Gemini 3, which includes the second generation of its popular nano banana pro AI image model. There has been a massive uptick in the popularity and ability of creative AI tools this year. New models give users the ability to create ultra-realistic AI images and videos. This ability has long worried copyright and intellectual property owners, and improvements in AI models this year have brought those concerns into clearer view. Disney, one of the biggest intellectual property owners, has become central to such legal and ethical debates.

The letter outlines Disney’s concerns that Google is using its position as a market leader to create and disseminate AI content. As the parent company of YouTube, Google is «flooding the market with infringing works, and reaping enormous profits and other value from its unlawful, harmful and damaging exploitation of Disney’s copyrighted works,» the letter says. Disney says it brought its concerns to Google’s attention months ago, but the tech company did nothing in response, leading to the cease-and-desist letter this week.

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Disney, along with Universal and Warner Bros., had already filed lawsuits against Midjourney AI over similar infringement concerns, calling the AI company «a bottomless pit of plagiarism.» Disney’s complaint in the new cease-and-desist letter deals with the same issue that Google AI users can use its models to create content that is too similar to its copyrighted characters like Darth Vader. But while Disney takes legal action against Google, it has also explored licensing opportunities with other AI companies like OpenAI.

On Thursday, Disney announced it had inked a $1 billion deal with OpenAI, one of the biggest competitors to Google. The deal gives OpenAI clearance to use more than 200 iconic Disney characters in AI images and Sora videos, including those from Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. The deal makes Disney a «major customer» of OpenAI, bringing ChatGPT to Disney employees and select Sora AI videos to Disney Plus. This is a markedly different approach from previous AI-related legal action taken by Disney.

CNET reached out to Google for comment but did not receive a response before publication. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, parent company of CNET, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

For more, check out the new pricing for Disney Plus, Hulu Live and ESPN and our guide to understanding copyright and AI.

Technologies

YouTubers Sue Amazon, Claim AI Tool Was Trained on Scraped Videos

The lawsuit alleges that Amazon bypassed YouTube protections to collect content for its generative AI video system.

A group of YouTube creators is suing Amazon, accusing the tech giant of secretly scraping their videos to train its AI video model without permission.

The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, alleges Amazon used automated tools to download and extract data from millions of YouTube videos to build and improve its Nova Reel generative AI system — a model that can create short videos from text prompts and images.

At the center of the complaint is how that data was obtained. The plaintiffs claim that Amazon bypassed YouTube’s protections using virtual machines and rotating IP addresses to avoid detection, effectively sidestepping the platform’s safeguards against bulk downloading.

The lawsuit was brought by several creators, including Ted Entertainment (the company behind the H3 Podcast and h3h3 Productions), as well as individual YouTubers and channel operators. They argue that the alleged scraping violated copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and are seeking damages as well as an injunction to stop the practice.

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

The case lands at a pivotal moment for generative AI, as courts weigh whether training on copyrighted material qualifies as fair use and how much control creators retain once their work is used to build these systems. The disputes have often centered on written material, which has been at the center of the AI revolution for several years, while AI video generators such as OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo have emerged more recently.

The lawsuit is one of dozens testing the boundaries of AI training practices, alongside high-profile cases from authors, artists and news organizations, including lawsuits against OpenAI and Meta, all circling the same unresolved question: Where does fair use end and infringement begin?

Technologies

The Galaxy Z TriFold Is Back. You Can Buy It From Samsung Soon

The $2,899 phone paused its sales in March after selling through its inventory, but Samsung is bringing it back to its online store.

Samsung’s $2,899 Galaxy Z TriFold is going back on sale on Friday, following a halt to its sales in March after the foldable phone sold through its inventory. Samsung has announced the TriFold’s return with a countdown clock on the phone’s online store page along with a Wednesday newsletter email sent to customers.

The initial pause, which Samsung said at the time was related to the TriFold being a «super-premium device in limited quantities,» happened after just three months of availability. The TriFold first went on sale in South Korea on Dec. 12 and then arrived in Samsung’s US store on Jan. 30. The TriFold sold out in the US within minutes of going on sale — which I know personally after joining my colleagues that morning in an attempt to buy it. Thankfully Senior Reporter Abrar Al-Heeti succeeded, and then reviewed the TriFold.

It’s unclear whether the Galaxy Z TriFold is now permanently returning to Samsung’s online store or if it is again on sale until its stock sells through. Given that the phone is very expensive, and unfolds to reveal a large, 10-inch display, it wouldn’t be surprising if its stock will be in limited quantities. We’ve asked a Samsung representative to clarify and will update if we hear more.

The Galaxy Z TriFold’s return also comes ahead of the summer season when we expect a slew of other foldable phones: Samsung typically refreshes its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip line in July or August, and Motorola has announced its first book-style Razr Fold phone will also debut during the season. And Apple’s rumored iPhone Fold (or perhaps iPhone Ultra based on latest rumors) could also be teased later this year.

Technologies

Help Us Crown the Most Loved Headphones and Earbuds of 2026

Got a pair you swear by? Take our People’s Picks survey to help us find a winner.

CNET just launched People’s Picks, a series of surveys where actual humans like you vote for the products and services you use. Starting in April, we want you to weigh in on your favorite headphones and earbuds. We’ll pick a winner based on which ones you love the most.

Why we want to hear from you

Our writers and editors test hundreds of products each year, but your real-world experience with these devices is something we can’t replicate in our labs. You’ve used these headphones at the gym, on your commute to work and on long flights, and that perspective is invaluable. Your voice helps others know about the headphones or earbuds you love, too.

«I review a lot of headphones and earbuds for CNET, and there are plenty of great models from the top brands in this survey that I rate highly. I’m always curious about what models people ultimately choose and why, so I’m excited to get your feedback and learn the results of this survey,» says David Carnoy, CNET’s executive editor and headphones expert.

With our survey, we’ll collect answers from real-world users like you. The headphones and earbuds chosen through our 3-minute survey will be featured in our People’s Picks roundup of the top picks based on your recommendation.

Make your voice heard

Whether you swear by a pair of $25 earbuds or love a pair of high-end headphones, your pick counts. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, and after we gather enough information, we’ll tally the results and publish the winners.

Not sure what to pick? Check out our Best Headphones to revisit your favorites before voting.