Major Hollywood studios Disney and NBCUniversal have filed a landmark lawsuit against Midjourney, a prominent AI image generator, alleging copyright infringement. The case, submitted to the Central District of California federal court in Los Angeles, accuses Midjourney of unauthorized use of various intellectual properties associated with billion-dollar franchises such as “The Simpsons,” “Star Wars,” and “Despicable Me.”
The lawsuit labels Midjourney as a “quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism.” Disney’s chief legal officer, Horacio Gutierrez, emphasized the importance of copyright laws, stating that they allow for financial investment and innovation in creating world-class intellectual properties.
Despite recognizing the potential of AI technology to enhance creativity, Gutierrez firmly stated that piracy remains theft, regardless of the medium. This legal action marks the first major lawsuit by Hollywood studios against a generative AI company, according to reports.
The complaint indicates that Midjourney was previously asked to halt the infringement of copyrighted material but failed to comply. The lawsuit highlights Midjourney’s substantial growth, claiming that it attracted millions of subscribers and generated $300 million in revenue last year.
NBCUniversal’s executive vice president and general counsel, Kim Harris, stated that creativity is essential to their business. She asserted that the lawsuit aims to safeguard the efforts of artists and the investments made in creating content.
The complaint also references comments made by Midjourney’s founder, David Holz, who acknowledged in an interview that he had not sought permission from copyright holders and mentioned the challenges of tracing image ownership online. Disney and NBCU are seeking not only the removal of their intellectual properties from Midjourney’s platform but also a commitment from the company to improve its practices in the future.
Leave a Reply