Disney and Universal are Suing Midjourney for Copyright Infringement

Disney and Universal are suing AI photo generation company Midjourney, which is the first major legal battle between Hollywood studios and an AI firm.

Midjourney allows users to create realistic images from text prompts in seconds. The companies claim Midjourney's AI models were trained on their intellectual property, generating copyright-violating images of their characters, as stated in a complaint filed Wednesday in California federal court.

Studios have likened Midjourney to a “virtual vending machine” and a "bottomless pit of plagiarism", creating “endless unauthorised copies" of their work.

Many publicly available AI models are trained on vast data repositories on the Internet without permission. Artists, authors, musicians, and actors have expressed concerns about AI tools using their work. In 2023, Midjourney faced a separate copyright infringement lawsuit from visual artists, which is currently in discovery.

However, Wednesday's lawsuit is the first by major Hollywood studios against an AI company.

The lawsuit claims that Midjourney can easily be prompted to generate images of characters like Star Wars figures, Bart Simpson, Shrek, Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” and Wall-E.

Midjourney did not immediately comment.

In the 2023 lawsuit, they argued that any image created by AI is merely a small fragment of the model's training.

Disney's legal team states that their suit concerns simple copyright infringement.

Horacio Gutierrez, Disney's senior vice president, expressed optimism about AI's responsible use but emphasised that “Piracy is piracy.”

Charles Rivkin, CEO of the Motion Picture Association, also chimed in, stressing that copyright protection is vital for the industry. He urged a balanced approach to AI that safeguards intellectual property while promoting innovation.

Meanwhile, Disney and Universal assert that Midjourney has 21 million subscribers and generated $300 million in revenue last year.

They previously requested Midjourney to cease alleged infringements or to implement measures to block users from generating infringing images, which the company reportedly “ignored.”

According to the complaint, Midjourney already has technology to prevent the distribution of certain images, such as those containing violence or nudity. It also notes that other AI services have measures to protect against copyright infringement.

Disney and Universal seek $ 150,000,000 per infringed work and an injunction against future infringements. Their complaint lists over 150 allegedly infringed works, suggesting potential damages could exceed $20 million if they win.

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