Introduction to the Lawsuit
The lawsuit between Disney, NBCUniversal, and Midjourney has sparked a new wave of discussion around copyright infringement and AI-generated content. This legal action follows similar moves in other creative industries, where more than a dozen major news companies sued AI company Cohere in February over copyright concerns. In 2023, a group of visual artists sued Midjourney for similar reasons.
Studios Claim Midjourney Knows What It’s Doing
Beyond allowing users to create these images, the studios argue that Midjourney actively promotes copyright infringement by displaying user-generated content featuring copyrighted characters in its "Explore" section. The complaint states this curation "show[s] that Midjourney knows that its platform regularly reproduces Plaintiffs’ Copyrighted Works." The studios also allege that Midjourney has technical protection measures available that could prevent outputs featuring copyrighted material but has "affirmatively chosen not to use copyright protection measures to limit the infringement."
Allegations Against Midjourney
The studios cite Midjourney CEO David Holz admitting the company "pulls off all the data it can, all the text it can, all the images it can" for training purposes. According to Axios, Disney and NBCUniversal attempted to address the issue with Midjourney before filing suit. While the studios say other AI platforms agreed to implement measures to stop IP theft, Midjourney "continued to release new versions of its Image Service" with what Holz allegedly described as "even higher quality infringing images."
Statement from NBCUniversal
"We are bringing this action today to protect the hard work of all the artists whose work entertains and inspires us and the significant investment we make in our content," said Kim Harris, NBCUniversal’s executive vice president and general counsel, in a statement. This lawsuit signals a new front in Hollywood’s conflict over AI.
The Bigger Picture
Axios highlights this shift: While actors and writers have fought to protect their name, image, and likeness from studio exploitation, now the studios are taking on tech companies over intellectual property concerns. Other major studios, including Amazon, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Sony, and Warner Bros., have not yet joined the lawsuit, though they share membership with Disney and Universal in the Motion Picture Association.
Conclusion
The lawsuit between Disney, NBCUniversal, and Midjourney marks a significant turning point in the debate around AI-generated content and copyright infringement. As the use of AI technology continues to grow, it’s likely that we’ll see more cases like this in the future. The outcome of this lawsuit will have important implications for the entertainment industry and beyond.
FAQs
- What is the lawsuit about?: The lawsuit is about Disney and NBCUniversal suing Midjourney for copyright infringement over AI-generated images featuring copyrighted characters.
- Why are the studios suing Midjourney?: The studios are suing Midjourney because they claim the company is actively promoting copyright infringement by displaying user-generated content featuring copyrighted characters.
- What does Midjourney say about the allegations?: Midjourney has not yet commented on the allegations, but the company’s CEO has admitted to pulling off data, text, and images for training purposes.
- What are the implications of this lawsuit?: The outcome of this lawsuit will have important implications for the entertainment industry and beyond, as it will set a precedent for how AI-generated content is treated in terms of copyright infringement.
