Hollywood Studios Take Legal Action Against AI Image Generator
Disney and Universal have filed a copyright lawsuit against Midjourney, a popular artificial intelligence image generator, marking the first major legal challenge by Hollywood companies against generative AI technology. The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, claims that Midjourney “pirated the libraries” of the two studios to generate and distribute unauthorized copies of their iconic characters.
The complaint specifically mentions characters such as Darth Vader from “Star Wars” and the Minions from “Despicable Me,” alleging that Midjourney created “endless unauthorized copies” of these copyrighted works. The studios accuse Midjourney of being a “quintessential copyright free-rider” and a “bottomless pit of plagiarism,” stating that the method of infringement – whether through AI or other technology – doesn’t change the fact that it’s piracy.
According to the lawsuit, Midjourney ignored requests from Disney and Universal to stop infringing on their copyrighted works and to implement measures to prevent such image generation. When reached for comment, Midjourney couldn’t be immediately contacted.
The legal action comes as major AI developers face growing scrutiny over their data sourcing practices. While these companies typically don’t disclose their data sources, they’ve argued that using publicly accessible online content to train AI systems falls under the “fair use” doctrine of American copyright law.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has expressed support for Disney and Universal’s lawsuit, with CEO Mitch Glazier stating that it represents a “critical stand for human creativity and responsible innovation.” However, Glazier also noted that there are potential paths forward through partnerships that could benefit both industries.
This lawsuit is part of a growing trend of legal challenges against AI platform developers, including OpenAI and Anthropic, in cities like San Francisco and New York. Meanwhile, a major copyright trial is currently underway in London, pitting Getty Images against Stability AI, another artificial intelligence company.
The outcome of these legal battles could have significant implications for the future of generative AI and its relationship with copyright law. As the technology continues to evolve, the industry is watching closely to see how courts will balance the rights of content creators with the needs of AI developers.
