Last week, most of the Harry Potter character bots mysteriously disappeared from character.ai… but why? Some say DiscoBros, who own the IP, wanted it taken down. Others say Tom Riddle (who, oddly, is still there) invoked the Evanesco curse. (Ten points to Gryffindor if you're nerdy enough to know this incantation.) I'm going with the disgruntled DiscoBros theory.
All kidding aside, this is a very interesting IP issue. J.K. Rowling owns the rights to the Harry Potter series, encompassing the characters and the fictional universe. She has authorized various entities to produce derivative works (such as films, merchandise, and theme parks). Notably, WBD holds the film rights and has developed the associated media franchise, including the Fantastic Beasts series. Additionally, WBD manages the Wizarding World brand, which encompasses various Harry Potter related ventures. Rowling's publishers, Bloomsbury in the UK and Scholastic in the US, possess the rights to publish the books, but do not own the underlying intellectual property.
So… who gave the order? Someone did, but that's not the interesting part. What fascinates me is how mad this made the character.ai power users who are clearly addicted to their synthetic Harry Potter companions. @karmaismycatz posted, "Today we’re all Draco’s widows and it’s all character ai fault stupid ass app !!!" @hibyemichiko posted, "i was devastated since all my favorite HP characters had been deleted by c ai. half of my life was there 😭 so now, decided to create my own Harry Potter bot *sigh*." There are literally thousands of very sad character.ai users being super vocal about this.
Think about this… the Harry Potter franchise just shut down a completely new way to engage fans in the Harry Potter saga. These people are not just fans, they are superfans. Through the magic of generative AI, these dedicated Harry Potter lovers were able to enter into relationships with their beloved characters. You can argue that the IP owner was not directly financially benefiting from these interactions, and you could also argue that superfans do not need to be serviced (because nothing will change their superfan status), but I will argue that this is a missed opportunity to build the brand while evolving the art of storytelling in the age of generative AI. Ready for the debate? I have the tech and the stats to back up my thesis.
As always your thoughts and comments are both welcome and encouraged. Just reply to this email. -s
P.S. CES is around the corner. If you're thinking about booking an Executive Briefing & Floor Tour for your team, today's the day. You can learn more at ces.shellypalmer.com.
About Shelly Palmer
ABOUT SHELLY PALMER
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.
