Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Disney and Universal have joined forces in a lawsuit against the creator of the AI image generator Midjourney, accusing the company of copyright infringement, Azernews reports.

This marks the first-ever copyright lawsuit from Hollywood giants involving artificial intelligence. The lawsuit alleges that Midjourney used and distributed AI-generated images of characters from studios including Star Wars, The Simpsons, and other popular films, despite multiple requests to stop doing so.

The studios provided numerous examples of AI-created images featuring characters from Cars, Toy Story, Shrek, The Avengers, and Minions from Despicable Me.

Disney and Universal are demanding a jury trial, arguing that these actions threaten to "undermine the underlying incentives of the American economy." "Midjourney is the epitome of copyright infringement and a bottomless pit of plagiarism," the studios said, calling the company’s actions "calculated and deliberate." Both companies noted they had sent cease-and-desist letters to Midjourney’s legal team, but the company continued releasing new versions of its image generator.

"Midjourney, which attracted millions of subscribers and earned $300 million last year alone, is focused solely on its own profits and ignored the plaintiffs’ demands," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California — one of the busiest courts for tech and intellectual property cases.

This lawsuit could set a major precedent that will shape how artificial intelligence is regulated in the creative industries. Legal experts are closely watching the case, as its outcome could impact the rights of content creators, AI developers, and digital artists worldwide.