The innovative AI company, Midjourney, is currently involved in a significant legal dispute with both Disney and Universal Studios, as they allege that Midjourney has violated their copyrights due to alleged intellectual property theft.
For those who are unfamiliar, Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence that primarily concentrates on generating fresh data from pre-existing data, and it has been making headlines quite frequently lately.
Recently, a report from BFI revealed that over 130,000 movie and TV scripts have been utilized to develop generative AI models. Before this, there was a trend on ChatGPT involving AI-generated images reminiscent of the style of Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli’s founder, which had been created by numerous users.
The problem lies in the fact that tech companies can operate without clear legal boundaries since there are no regulations in place. On the contrary, Disney and Universal have decided not to tolerate this situation.
Disney & Universal file landmark lawsuit against AI firm
For the very first time, major film studios have initiated a lawsuit on June 11th, as reported by The New York Times, concerning AI-created visuals. Among numerous companies employing data for training their generative AI systems, Midjourney is one of them.
The Hollywood studios assert that the company has unrightfully used numerous copyrighted materials from their collections, enabling users to produce images that overtly imitate and replicate iconic characters from Disney and Universal.
As more video generators become popular, it’s just a matter of time until artificial intelligence starts producing videos that utilize their valuable intellectual property.
According to court records obtained by the news outlet, the documents claim that Midjourney “epitomizes copyright infringement and is a bottomless well of plagiarism.” The documents provide numerous instances, such as AI-created depictions of characters like Elsa from Frozen, Homer Simpson, Darth Vader, Shrek, Minions, Spider-Man, and others.
Horacio Gutierrez, Disney’s legal advisor, expressed enthusiasm about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and confidence in its use as a means to enhance human creativity. However, he emphasized that piracy is still piracy, regardless of whether it originates from an AI company, as it does not diminish the infringement involved.
Kim Harris, NBCUniversal’s General Counsel, stated, “Today, we’re taking legal action to safeguard the efforts of all the talented artists whose creations delight and motivate us, as well as the resources we commit to producing our content.
Additionally, you might find information on the debates around AI that involve shows such as The Brutalist, Late Night with the Devil, Thunderbolts, and True Detective.
Read More
2025-06-11 19:19