Disney and Universal have taken legal action against the generative AI platform Midjourney, alleging that it has utilized their content for training its art-generating and editing models without permission. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, states that Midjourney has disregarded previous requests from the studios to stop infringing on their intellectual property rights.
The filing took place in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and it presents numerous examples of images created by Midjourney that feature copyrighted characters from the studios, such as Homer Simpson and Darth Vader. Disney and Universal are seeking various remedies, including monetary damages, a jury trial, and an injunction to prevent Midjourney from further violating their copyrights.
Midjourney has not yet issued a public response to inquiries regarding the lawsuit. The case highlights a growing tension in the tech industry, particularly among companies like OpenAI, which advocate for the right to train AI models on publicly available works, including those that are copyrighted.
These companies argue that they should be able to use such materials without needing permission or compensating the original creators. While some film and television studios have begun to explore the use of generative AI technology, these efforts have generally been conservative and cautious.
The current legal battle underscores the complexities and potential conflicts between creative industries and emerging AI technologies, raising important questions about intellectual property rights in the digital age.