Entertainment giants Disney and Universal have filed a federal lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Midjourney, accusing the San Francisco-based startup of mass copyright infringement through its image-generating technology.
Describing Midjourney’s popular AI tool as a “bottomless pit of plagiarism,” the studios claim it has produced “innumerable” unauthorized copies of iconic characters, including Darth Vader, Yoda, Elsa from Frozen, and the Minions from Despicable Me. The lawsuit was lodged in the federal district court in Los Angeles.
Disney’s chief legal officer, Horacio Gutierrez, emphasized the company’s openness to AI as a tool but warned against its misuse. “We’re optimistic about how AI can be used responsibly to further human creativity,” Gutierrez said. “But piracy is piracy, and the fact that it’s done by an AI company does not make it any less infringing.”
According to the filing, Midjourney generated $300 million in revenue last year and is reportedly preparing to launch a video service. The studios argue that its AI model is trained on copyrighted materials and creates images that are visually indistinguishable from the originals, often just placing them in different settings or poses.
Examples cited in the complaint include AI-generated images of Marvel’s Spiderman and Iron Man, alongside Star Wars figures such as Yoda and the Hulk. Legal experts suggest the case could test the limits of copyright law in the age of generative AI.
“A lot of the images Midjourney produces just seem to be copies of copyrighted characters in new locations,” said Shubha Ghosh, a law professor at Syracuse University. “It doesn’t seem like they’re being transformed in a creative or imaginative way.”
However, some legal analysts caution against assuming a clear outcome. Randy McCarthy, head of the IP Law Group at Hall Estill, noted: “No litigation is ever a slam dunk. Issues like fair use and the platform’s terms of service will be critical to how this plays out in court.”
Midjourney, founded by David Holz and known for its text-to-image generation capabilities, has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit. The company identifies itself as “an independent research lab” with fewer than a dozen full-time staff. Among its advisors are tech notables like former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Second Life creator Philip Rosedale.
The case highlights the entertainment industry’s evolving relationship with AI. While studios see potential in the technology—using it to de-age actors or modify voices in Oscar-nominated films—they remain wary of its legal and ethical boundaries. The recent Hollywood strikes by actors and writers in 2023 were partly sparked by concerns over unchecked AI use in creative roles.
Chioma Kalu
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