Disney, Universal Sue Midjourney AI for Copyright Infringement

Disney and NBCUniversal have jointly filed a high-profile copyright infringement lawsuit against Midjourney, a generative AI company, accusing it of unlawfully using their copyrighted characters to create and distribute images without permission. The complaint alleges that Midjourney trained its AI on vast amounts of internet data, including copyrighted content from Disney and Universal properties such as Darth Vader, Elsa, and the Minions, generating images for millions of users while making substantial revenue. The studios assert that Midjourney ignored repeated requests to stop using their intellectual property and failed to implement available technical safeguards to prevent infringement. Disney and Universal emphasize that while they support responsible AI innovation, piracy—regardless of whether it involves AI—remains illegal and harms the creative industries. This lawsuit marks the first major legal action by Hollywood studios targeting a generative AI company for copyright violations, highlighting growing concerns about AI's impact on creative rights. Midjourney has not publicly responded to the allegations.