Worsening predicament for Midjourney as they face a copyright infringement lawsuit by Warner Bros Discovery over allegations of unauthorized usage of AI image generation technology
In a significant development, Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros Discovery have filed a lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney, accusing the service of copyright infringement. This lawsuit, one of many expected legal wranglings over generative AI, claims that Midjourney's actions constitute piracy and the unauthorized use of intellectual property.
The lawsuit states that Midjourney had technology protection measures attached to its video service but chose to remove them inexplicably in 2025, despite knowing about extensive copyright infringements. This decision, described as intentional copyright violations in the lawsuit filed by Warner Bros. Discovery and other media companies, allegedly allowed Midjourney to produce images that are direct lifts of copyrighted material.
The lawsuit includes numerous examples of Midjourney's properties being rendered, such as an image titled "Superman's bored" from a Midjourney Discord server. The combined legal teams of Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros Discovery bring a significant amount of legal power to the fight against Midjourney.
Midjourney, a generative AI service that produces images based on text prompts, is the only AI service mentioned in this paragraph that refuses to stop its infringement. The lawsuit states that there are no copyright guardrails for Midjourney, allowing it to produce images without protection for copyright owners.
It is important to note that the lawsuit is not the first instance of legal action against Midjourney. The company was hit with a class action lawsuit in 2023 by a group of artists. This ongoing lawsuit may force Midjourney to make meaningful concessions to copyright.
The outcome of the Midjourney lawsuit may serve as a precedent for the entire industry. Many of Midjourney's competitors have implemented technological measures to prevent the generation of infringing outputs. If Midjourney is found guilty, it could set a strong precedent for other AI services to follow suit and implement similar protections.
The lawsuit can be found on the Culture Crave website for further reference. The lawsuit states that Midjourney could stop its theft and exploitation of intellectual property but instead has made a calculated and profit-driven decision to offer no protection for copyright owners. This decision, according to the lawsuit, constitutes a calculated and intentional disregard for the rights of creators.
In conclusion, the lawsuit against Midjourney by Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros Discovery is a significant step in the ongoing battle against AI copyright infringement. The outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for the AI industry and the protection of intellectual property rights.
