Hollywood giants Disney and Universal have filed a federal lawsuit against artificial intelligence (AI) image generator Midjourney, accusing it of large-scale copyright infringement.
The studios claim Midjourney trains its AI models on their intellectual property without permission, and generates images featuring their famous characters, including Star Wars icons, The Simpsons, Shrek, and the Minions.
The lawsuit, filed in California, marks the first major legal battle between entertainment studios and an AI company over unauthorised content creation.
The complaint describes Midjourney as a “bottomless pit of plagiarism”. Disney and Universal argue that AI technology holds promise, but misuse threatens copyright law.
The studios previously asked Midjourney to implement safeguards preventing users from generating images of their intellectual property, but the company allegedly ignored these requests.
The lawsuit seeks US$150,000 per infringed work and an injunction to prevent further violations.
For investors, this case could set a precedent for AI-generated content regulation.
If Disney and Universal succeed, AI firms may face stricter licensing requirements, potentially reshaping the US$300 million AI image-generation market.
The lawsuit also underscores growing tensions between tech innovation and intellectual property rights, a critical issue as AI adoption accelerates across industries.
Midjourney has yet to respond to the allegations, but the outcome could have far-reaching implications for AI-driven creative tools.
