On 11 December 2025, The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI announced the conclusion of a major strategic and licensing agreement, marking a decisive step in the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) within the cultural and creative industries, on a clearly defined and contractually secured basis.
Concluded for a three-year term, this agreement illustrates the emergence of a structured collaboration model between rights holders and AI operators, shifting away from purely contentious approaches and towards a framework based on licensing, governance of uses and legal risk control.
Under the terms of the agreement, Disney grants OpenAI a licence covering more than 200 characters and associated universe elements drawn from its flagship franchises (Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars). This licence authorises the use of these assets within OpenAI’s generative content tools, and in particular within Sora, its AI-driven video generation platform based on text prompts.
The licensed scope includes, inter alia, fictional characters, creatures, costumes, accessories, environments and vehicles, while expressly excluding the use of real actors’ likenesses, voices or performances. This exclusion reflects a deliberate effort to compartmentalise the applicable legal regimes and to mitigate risks relating to personality rights and neighbouring rights of performers.
Beyond the IP licensing component, the 11 December 2025 agreement also has a significant capital and operational dimension. Disney has committed to making an investment of approximately USD 1 billion in OpenAI, together with option mechanisms allowing for increased equity participation.
At the same time, Disney becomes a strategic customer of OpenAI, with the planned integration of several generative AI solutions (including ChatGPT and OpenAI APIs) into its internal processes and selected platforms, notably Disney+. From 2026 onwards, user-generated content created via Sora using licensed Disney universes may be distributed in a controlled manner within this ecosystem, paving the way for new hybrid formats combining institutional content and participatory creation.
The OpenAI–Disney agreement sends a strong signal to the market. At a time when litigation concerning the training of AI models and the unauthorised exploitation of protected content is increasing, the parties have opted for an explicit contractual model, based on licensing, precise delineation of authorised uses, and the implementation of compliance and control mechanisms.
It also illustrates the growing importance of AI governance agreements, intended to regulate not only intellectual property rights, but also issues relating to liability, safety of generated content, brand protection and compliance with the values associated with the creative universes concerned.
Conclusion
The agreement concluded on 11 December 2025 between OpenAI and Disney represents a major milestone in the development of an operational legal framework for generative AI applied to cultural and creative content. It raises, in very concrete terms, a wide range of compelling intellectual property law issues, including licensing structures, derivative works, allocation of liability and control over uses.
These issues are now central for companies operating in the media and creative sectors as they confront the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies.
