Keywords
AI chatbots, copyright infringement
Abstract
Chatbots that purport to embody the personas of copyrighted characters are poised to be a central issue for the IP legal field and the entertainment industry. In September of 2025, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI, a leader in the “character” chatbots market, demanding removal of numerous chatbots that were reportedly based on characters from Disney franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, and the Pixar films. Character.AI allegedly removed all infringing characters, however it remains unclear whether character chatbots platforms are required to do so under IP law. This Note addresses the issue of copyright infringement for character chatbots and platform liability for infringement.
This Note concludes that character chatbots most likely infringe, and that chatbot platforms, not users, should be liable for infringement as the entity that generates, distributes, and controls the chatbot characters.
Recommended Citation
Isabella Herrera,
Infringement Through Imitation: AI Chatbots and the Characters They Infringe,
36 Fordham Intell. Prop. Media & Ent. L.J. 905
(2026).
Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/iplj/vol36/iss4/4