Two major Hollywood studios – Disney and Universal – have filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Midjourney, accusing it of illegally copying their famous characters.
The lawsuit claims Midjourney’s AI image generator creates copies of characters like Darth Vader from Star Wars, Elsa from Frozen, and the Minions without permission. Disney’s legal chief Horacio Gutierrez called it “a bottomless pit of plagiarism.”
“Piracy is piracy, whether done by humans or AI,” Gutierrez said. “We support responsible AI use, but not theft of our creations.”
The case was filed in a Los Angeles federal court. Court documents show Midjourney allegedly made $300 million last year using these characters. The company is also planning to launch a video service soon.
Legal experts say this case could set important rules for AI and copyright. Professor Shubha Ghosh noted Midjourney’s images appear to directly copy characters without adding new creative elements.
Midjourney, a small San Francisco company with fewer than 12 full-time staff, describes itself as an “independent research lab.” The company didn’t respond to requests for comment.
This lawsuit highlights Hollywood’s complicated relationship with AI. While studios use AI for tasks like de-aging actors (seen in recent Oscar-nominated films), they worry about protecting their valuable characters and stories.
Two years ago, Hollywood writers and actors went on strike partly over AI concerns. Now, as AI becomes more common in movies and games, this legal battle could shape how the technology is used in entertainment.
