Disney, NBCU wage war against AI: Midjourney gets slapped with lawsuit

The Walt Disney Co. and NBCUniversal have filed a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney, alleging that the company’s image-generating service infringes on their copyrighted works.

This legal action, lodged in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, marks the first significant lawsuit studios have initiated against an AI company.

The lawsuit accuses Midjourney of functioning as a “virtual vending machine” for unauthorized copies of copyrighted characters, specifically targeting Disney’s and Universal’s intellectual properties. The studios claim Midjourney generates high-quality, downloadable images featuring well-known characters like Disney’s Darth Vader and NBCUniversal’s Minions, in response to simple text prompts from users. These images, the lawsuit argues, are blatant copies, circumventing the need for the studios to invest in their creation.

The complaint asserts that Midjourney’s actions are a form of piracy, as the service generates copyrighted content without permission. The studios are seeking maximum statutory damages, an accounting of Midjourney’s earnings from the alleged infringement, and injunctive relief to prevent further violations.

At the heart of the lawsuit is the issue of AI training. Midjourney’s use of copyrighted material to train its image-generation model is a contentious issue in the AI industry. The studios suggest that Midjourney’s new video service could also be infringing their copyrights, making the matter even more urgent.

Horacio Gutierrez, senior executive vice president of Disney, stated, “Piracy is piracy, and the fact that it’s done by an AI company does not make it any less infringing.” NBCUniversal’s Kim Harris echoed the sentiment, calling the infringement “blatant” and stressing the importance of protecting the work of artists and creators.

The lawsuit highlights the growing tension between content creators and AI companies, as the Motion Picture Association has argued that existing copyright law should be sufficient to address these issues. However, the studios maintain that Midjourney’s practices constitute clear copyright infringement.

Representatives for Midjourney have not yet responded to requests for comment.