Disney's licensing agreement with OpenAI spans three years but contains only a single year of exclusivity, according to CEO Bob Iger in an interview with CNBC. The partnership, finalized last week, will integrate Disney's iconic characters into OpenAI's Sora video generation platform.

Following the conclusion of that exclusive twelve-month period, Disney will have the freedom to establish comparable partnerships with other artificial intelligence firms. This arrangement provides OpenAI with a prominent content collaborator, enabling Sora users to generate content featuring over 200 characters from Disney's vast portfolio, including Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. Currently, it stands as the sole AI platform with legal authorization for such use.

For Disney, this partnership serves as a strategic experiment with generative AI and its intellectual property. It allows the company to evaluate the progress and outcomes of the OpenAI collaboration before considering further agreements. "No generation in history has successfully halted technological progress, and we have no intention of attempting to do so," Iger stated to CNBC. "We have consistently believed that if change is inevitable, even when it disrupts our existing business models, then we should actively participate."

In a revealing parallel development, Disney issued a cease-and-desist letter to Google on the very same day it announced the OpenAI deal. The letter alleges that the technology giant has engaged in copyright infringement. Google has neither confirmed nor denied these allegations but has stated it plans to "engage" with Disney on the matter.