Disney, Universal File Copyright Lawsuit Against Midjourney AI Company

Navigating the rise of A.I. and its use in entertainment has consisted of grey areas and controversies, but now, major Hollywood players are taking official steps towards legal regulation. On Wednesday (June 11), Disney and NBCUniversal filed a lawsuit against Midjourney, a generative A.I. start-up, alleging copyright infringement.

In the complaint, the companies claim that Midjourney’s own website “displays hundreds, if not thousands, of images generated by its Image Service at the request of its subscribers that infringe Plaintiffs’ Copyrighted Works.” Disney and NBCU alleges the artificial intelligence company “helped itself to countless” copyrighted works to train its software and called their actions a “bottomless pit of plagiarism.”

The suit references images of Midjourney allegedly infringing on intellectual property, citing examples from of Marvel’s Deadpool and Wolverine, Universal‘s Minions from the Despicable Me film franchise, and more. The move marks the first time a major Hollywood studio has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit of this kind.

“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,” Disney and NBCU said in the lawsuit. “Piracy is piracy, and whether an infringing image or video is made with AI or another technology does not make it any less infringing. Midjourney’s conduct misappropriates Disney’s and Universal’s intellectual property and threatens to upend the bedrock incentives of U.S. copyright law that drive American leadership in movies, television, and other creative arts.”

Disney and NBCU are seeking unspecified monetary damages and aim to restrict Midjourney from infringing on their copyrighted works. Read a copy of the full lawsuit here.

Midjourney sells subscriptions to consumers priced at $10-$120 per month, according to Disney and NBCU, so that users can “view and download copies and derivatives of Plaintiffs’ valuable copyrighted characters.” The major media companies also say there is no room for blurred lines with this situation, writing, “This case is not a ‘close call’ under well-settled copyright law.”

The use of A.I., specifically in reference to creating art and entertainment, has continued to elicite polarizing views. Most recently, Timbaland announced he started an A.I. label, Stage Zero, and even signed his first A.I. artist named TaTa. After receiving backlash, the legendary producer circled back by opening the floor to a discussion about his decision to embrace artificial intelligence in this space.