Disney, Universal sue firm Midjourney over copyright infringement, call AI tool a ‘bottomless pit of plagiarism’

Walt Disney Co. (DIS.N) and Comcast Corp.’s (CMCSA.O) Universal Pictures have jointly filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against San Francisco-based AI company Midjourney, accusing it of unlawfully reproducing iconic characters from their film libraries using its AI-powered image generator.

According to foreign media, the lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Los Angeles, alleges that Midjourney used copyrighted characters such as Darth Vader (Star Wars), Elsa (Frozen), the Minions (Despicable Me), and many others without permission. 

The studios argue that the company has distributed “innumerable” unauthorised copies and continues to improve its model to produce higher-quality infringing content.

Studios speak out on piracy

“We are bullish on the promise of AI technology and optimistic about how it can be used responsibly as a tool to further human creativity, but piracy is piracy, and the fact that it’s done by an AI company does not make it any less infringing,” said Horacio Gutierrez, Disney’s executive vice president and chief legal officer.

NBCUniversal’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel Kim Harris added, “[We are suing] to protect the hard work of all the artists whose work entertains and inspires us and the significant investment we make in our content.”

Repeated requests ignored, alleges studios

According to the complaint, Midjourney ignored the studios’ requests to cease infringing activity or to implement technological safeguards. Instead, it allegedly released new versions of its image generator with enhanced capability to replicate well-known characters.

“By helping itself to plaintiffs’ copyrighted works, and then distributing images (and soon videos) that blatantly incorporate and copy Disney’s and Universal’s famous characters  without investing a penny in their creation Midjourney is the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism,” the lawsuit claims.

AI images mimic iconic characters

The studios provided several examples of AI-generated content mimicking their properties, including Yoda with a lightsaber, Iron Man flying, Bart Simpson skateboarding, Buzz Lightyear in flight, Toothless the dragon, Shrek, and Po from Kung Fu Panda.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) backed the lawsuit, reinforcing the industry’s stance on intellectual property protection.

“Strong copyright protection is the backbone of our industry,” said Charles Rivkin, chairman of the MPA. “A balanced approach to AI that both protects intellectual property and embraces responsible, human-centered innovation is critical for maintaining America’s global leadership in creative industries.”

The studios are seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent Midjourney from using or distributing its image and video generation service without sufficient copyright safeguards. They are also demanding unspecified monetary damages.