Disney Sues AI Firm to Stop Darth Vader From Being Cloned

Business Insider

4 hours ago

Disney's (DIS) top lawyer is leading a full-court press to stop AI platforms from hijacking Star Wars icons. The recent lawsuit against Midjourney isn't a one-off, it's the opening salvo in a broader fight to defend Darth Vader and the House of Mouse's most valuable characters.
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Disney Targets Midjourney over Character Theft
Disney claims Midjourney's image model clearly 'scrapes' characters like Darth Vader and Deadpool without permission. They also claim that Midjourney has refused repeated takedown requests. Now, the studio's taking legal action, with top legal counsel Horacio Gutierrez front and center. His lawsuit signals the first major Hollywood push to turn AI-generated character use from accepted practice into a legal no-go.
Gutierrez didn't stop at Midjourney. Disney has mobilized the studio ranks to form an alliance—forcing a line to be drawn in AI use. NBCUniversal jumped on board, while (for now) Paramount, Warner Bros (WBD). Discovery, Amazon (AMZN), and Netflix (NFLX) have held off. Disney wants this fight to set a precedent.
Disney Demands Control over Its AI Future
Gutierrez has made the goal unmistakable: Disney wants to dictate if, how, and by whom its characters appear in AI training or output. The message is simple: We won't let AI startups mine our IP unless we sign off, no exceptions.
The studio's past mistakes with digital sharing gave it a tough lesson. Like record labels before them, studios sued peer-to-peer services—then stumbled to keep up with streaming. Disney doesn't want a replay. They want to force rules on AI before the floodgates open.
However, it's not all resistance. Disney is already working with OpenAI to license Darth Vader's voice for a Fortnite chatbot. They're not anti-AI, they're anti-out-of-control. The goal is clear: harness AI's power while owning the terms.
Disney Challenges the Status Quo with New Legal Push
Copyright law hasn't caught up with AI. Fair use has become a legal battlefield. Midjourney's case could create a landmark precedent: AI training needs permission. If Disney wins, big tech will have to negotiate before using iconic characters in any dataset.
Moreover, Washington is betting big on U.S.-built AI. Industry insiders worry AI champions like OpenAI and Anthropic could snag global advantage. Disney's move adds a new wrinkle: if studios don't guard their IP, they'll lose control, and America could lose leverage as copyright-rules slide.
Is Disney Stock a Buy Right Now?
Wall Street seems to think so. Based on 19 analyst ratings in the past three months, Disney stock has earned a 'Strong Buy' consensus. That includes 15 Buys, four Holds, and zero Sells, a rare display of confidence in today's market. The average 12-month DIS price target comes in at $125.12, implying a 7% upside from the current price of $117.06.