Disney, Universal sue AI company for copying Minions, Avengers and ‘Star Wars' characters
Walt Disney Co. and Universal Pictures sued an influential artificial intelligence image generator for copyright infringement Wednesday, marking a major step in Hollywood's fight against certain uses of generative AI.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, said the AI company Midjourney generates images that 'blatantly incorporate and copy' the movie studios' famous characters, including those from billion-dollar franchises such as 'Star Wars,' Marvel and the 'Despicable Me' and 'Minions' world.
This is the first time major studios have brought the battle against alleged AI-enabled intellectual property theft to the courtroom. Disney and Universal were joined by subsidiaries in the suit, including Marvel, Lucasfilm, 20th Century and DreamWorks Animation.
They called Midjourney a 'quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism,' and contend that the company uses its images featuring copyrighted characters to market and promote its service.
Disney and Universal claim Midjourney ignored their requests to stop infringing on their copyrighted works. The companies argued that Midjourney already has preventative measures in place to block the creation of images with violence or nudity and that it could implement similar measures to prevent replications of recognizable and copyrighted works.
Representatives for Midjourney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Through more than 30 examples, the 110-page lawsuit includes images created from Midjourney prompts and places the results next to images from Disney and Universal's movies.
The suit included Midjourney-generated images of Yoda, Darth Vader, Iron Man, the Hulk and the animated characters from 'Frozen,' 'The Simpsons,' 'Shrek' and 'Kung Fu Panda,' which were nearly identical to corresponding pictures from the studios.
The coloring, animation style and specific details, such as the logos on the side of Lighting McQueen and Buzz Lightyear's space suit, closely resemble the original works.
Creatives in Hollywood have long expressed concern about the rapid development of generative AI with text, images, audio and video. Worries over unauthorized use of generative AI were a sticking point in the historic double strike by actors and writers in 2023.
In a 2022 interview with The Times, Midjourney's founder and CEO David Holz said he viewed the image service as a way for artists to have the speed of their process match the speed of their imagination.
'It's really easy to look at something from far away and say it's scary,' he said. 'When people actually use it, the attitudes are very different. It doesn't feel like something that's trying to replace you. When you use it, it very much feels like an extension of your own mind.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
101 dogs rescued from alleged puppy mill in NC home
Over a hundred dogs have been saved from an alleged puppy mill in North Carolina that was so cramped and dirty that it mirrored a scene from the Disney classic, 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians.' The SPCA of Wake County and Raleigh Animal Control rescued the poor pups from a Raleigh home on June 4 after a complaint, according to the SPCA's Facebook page. 'They were housed in egregious conditions, surrounded by their own waste, packed five or six to a cage and stacked floor to ceiling, or free roaming in cramped quarters and filth,' the nonprofit explained. Pomeranians, Yorkies and Doodle mixes were among those rescued, and according to Scripps, some of the hounds were pregnant or nursing as well. Pomeranians, Yorkies and Doodle mixes were among those rescued from the Raleigh home. Facebook/SPCA of Wake County The team at the SPCA of Wake County is giving the canines some much-needed TLC. Facebook/SPCA of Wake County The SPCA shared photos of the fur babies getting much-deserved pampering two days after the rescue. 'These dogs have been getting the spa day of their lives—and their first taste of fresh air, possibly ever. Our medical team is hard at work treating each dog's individual needs (lots of skin and dental issues), and the matted dirty fur is coming off in heaps,' they explained in a Facebook post. 'We're seeing a lot of smiles from these guys—This is the biggest moment in these dogs' lives, and we are feeling so grateful to be a part of their healing.' On June 10, the organization shared the happy news that the first rescue, Jaime, was adopted after they 'removed two pounds of fur, thick with painful mats.' 'His new mom promises to spoil, love, and groom him the way he has always deserved,' they said in the post.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
45 Cute Father's Day Questions to Ask Your Dad and Your Kids
45 Cute Father's Day Questions to Ask Your Dad and Your Kids originally appeared on Parade. When you think about it, dads are like real-life superheroes. They may not have superhuman strength, be able to soar through the clouds, or read your mind, but they do possess superpowers. Dads have a way of lifting up their children when they are sad like nobody else can. They can fly into action when someone they love needs protection and they can know what their family members desire without having to like most superheroes, dads can sometimes appear to be wearing a mask. That's especially true when it comes to how much their kids know about them because they can be mysterious at times. To help your children get to know the real you, we wrote out a questionnaire they can ask you. We also created some questions you can ask them as well. That way, you can make your bond even out all the Father's Day questions, below. Some are fun, some are serious and some are sweet. You can ask them as they are, put some on a printable page or just pick a few to answer. Either way, it'll be a great way to start to connect on a deeper 1. What's your favorite memory?2. What's your favorite color?3. How did you meet Mom?4. What city did you grow up in?5. What was your favorite class in school?6. Did you ever fail a test?7. What was your favorite movie when you were my age?8. What did you want to be when you grew up?9. What was your favorite memory with your parents?10. What's something you always wanted to do as a kid, but didn't get to? Related: 11. What was your favorite toy?12. Did you have any pets growing up?13. Did you play any sports in school?14. What was your favorite vacation spot as a kid?15. If you could relive any day from your childhood, which one would it be?16. What was the biggest lie you ever told as a kid?17. What was one of the most embarrassing moments you had as a kid?18. What was the best advice your parents ever gave you?19. Were you ever nervous to go out on a date before?20. How did you propose to Mom?21. What colleges did you apply to?22. Where did you go on your first-ever date?23. Where were you when you found out Mom and you were expecting to have me?24. What's your favorite thing about being a dad?25. What advice do you have for first-time dads? Related: 26. What's your favorite thing to do with me?27. What's your favorite food I make for you?28. What's something you want to do with me?29. What's your favorite game to play with me?30. What do you think I do for my job?31. What's your favorite memory with me?32. What's something you wish I wouldn't do?33. What do I do that makes you laugh?34. What's something you want me to teach you?35. What's something I'm really good at? 36. What Disney character am I the most like? 37. How do you know I love you? 38. What do you like the most about me? 39. What's your favorite place to go with me? 40. What's your favorite TV show to watch with me? 41. How old do you think I am? 42. What's something you love that I always say to you? 43. What makes you proud of me? 44. Who's my favorite superhero? 45. What's something you'd like to know about me? Up Next:45 Cute Father's Day Questions to Ask Your Dad and Your Kids first appeared on Parade on Jun 14, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
An Art Form Grows Up: The Transformation and Evolution of Animation Is Celebrated at Annecy
Thirty years after Pixar launched a revolution when it introduced the world's first fully computer animated feature, 'Toy Story,' its anniversary will be marked amid another sea change at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where the close-knit animation community gathers in the picturesque French city on Lake Annecy near the Swiss border. The festival will take place from June 8-14 amid a collision of artistic, business and technological shifts, driven by factors from a post-strike business climate to AI developments. 'It's just south of chaos,' admits Pixar Animation Studio's chief creative officer Pete Docter, who was a young animator at Pixar when Woody and Buzz were birthed. But as the industry evolves, he remembers the words of Disney legend Joe Grant, one of the writers of 'Dumbo,' who years ago advised Docter to remember that the business is cyclical. More from Variety 'The Bad Guys 2': DreamWorks Animation Will Preview Footage at Annecy International Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE) Finnish Animated Adventure 'Fleak' to Get U.S. Distribution After Annecy World Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) 'Mulan's' Ming-Na Wen to Narrate Annecy-Bound 2D Animation Documentary 'Pencils Vs Pixels' (EXCLUSIVE) 'I keep that in the back of my head as we face what seems like, craziness, that it is cyclical. And I think the thing that I take comfort in is, regardless of the business, I have confidence in the artists,' Docter says. He recalls coming out of CalArts at a time when artists struggled to find a job. 'But that was when some of the greatest animation was produced in the form of shorts. I think the artists will always find a way to express themselves and continue to challenge the medium and push it forward. So I have a lot of optimism.' The animation community uses the mantra 'animation is film' to suggest that it's not just for kids. Rather, animation is an art form that can be used to reach changing, global audiences with all sorts of stories and on a range of budgets. Just look at this year's animated feature Oscar winner, Latvia's 'Flow,' a moving dialog-free tale of a solitary cat's journey as it learns to survive after a great flood, that was made with open-source software Blender for just $3.4 million. Or 2024 category winner, Hayao Miyazaki's semi-autobiographical 'The Boy and the Heron,' which was distributed in the U.S. by indie distributor GKIDS. 'I think the assumption that animation is tied to a particular type of four-quadrant family film has really been challenged,' says GKIDS president Dave Jesteadt, who sees opportunity for all types of films. 'I think that you see a greater acceptance of animation as a film and artform. It certainly feels like whether that's 'Flow' last year or 'The Boy and the Heron' from two years ago — and obviously there's lots of projects in between — it does feel like the things that we're sort of looking at, that are playing in Annecy, do have the potential to reach commercial audiences.' Alex Woo, director of upcoming Netflix original 'In Your Dreams,' points to not just features but series work: 'A show like 'Arcane' just wouldn't have existed without a platform like Netflix. And 'Love, Death & Robots' feels like a spiritual successor to (the Wachowskis' 'Matrix'-themed) 'The Animatrix' anthology, but with all original stories. It's been encouraging to see studios taking more chances and telling different kinds of stories in animation — and even more exciting to see audiences embracing them.' Director Genndy Tartakovsky, whose 'Fixed' (the story of a dog who learns that he will be neutered, produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix) will have its world premiere at Annecy, suggests that adult animation is thriving. 'Adult series animation definitely feels like it offers the most creativity as far as art and story,' he says adding, though, that he finds it's 'very difficult these days to get an original theatrical feature made.' In 2024, three of the five highest grossing theatrical releases were animated, with Pixar's 'Inside Out 2' and Disney Animation's 'Moana 2' both topping $1 billion. Dreamworks Animation chief Margie Cohn says it's 'imperative' to create stories that give audiences a reason to see a movie in a theater, and DWA is delivering two to three theatrical films per year, a mix of original and franchise titles. 'We will continue to strike the right balance with one original and a reimagined franchise title each year,' she reports, adding 'there is great nostalgia for existing franchises, but there still needs to be a compelling reason to add another chapter — evolving your character, story and look — making it relevant for today's audiences.' To address competition for viewers' time between social media, gaming, streaming and cinema, Laika describes its emphasis on building its audience. 'It's very challenging in a world where audiences' attention is massively fragmented,' admits Laika's CMO David Burke, citing the studio's next release, 'Wildwood,' which will part of the studio's Annecy slate presentation as an example. 'Over the last couple of years, we've really focused on building out our social platforms, so we have an audience who's aware of Laika as the creator of these five kinds of wonderful films [including 'family horror' titles 'Coraline' and 'ParaNorman'], Burke says. 'Now that we've built in this kind of foundation of brand awareness directly with the audience, we're able to build anticipation and have a conversation with our fans directly, online, as it relates to 'Wildwood.'' He adds that Laika additionally used the theatrical rerelease of 'Coraline' for its 'Wildwood' title release, which additionally played online. 'In total, we got like 30 million cumulative views — eight million views in theaters and 25 million views online for the title reveal,' he says. At Pixar, Docter says the team remains focused on universal stories but that also 'take advantage of what animation can do, bringing to life characters, inanimate objects and looking at things from a unique viewpoint.' As to evolving technology, notably the thorny subject of AI, he observes that it 'kind of feels like there's a very close equivalent' to the sorts of questions and discussions that surrounded the 'Toy Story' release about the future of animation. For Docter, technology doesn't replace the humanity. 'Movies are going to change. I don't know exactly how, but at the heart of it, people don't want to watch heartless robots making stuff. I think they go to the movies because they want to feel that they're not alone, that someone else out there had a feeling and an idea about the world and experience,' he says. 'It comes from going out and taking risks and feeling pain and struggle and then putting that into a story. … It comes from living.' THINGS TO SEE AT ANNECY Walt Disney Animation Studios' CCO Jared Bush will introduce a sneak peek at Nov. 26 theatrical release 'Zootopia 2,' which Bush directed (with Byron Howard) and wrote. Fans may enjoy an evening, open-air screening of 2016's 'Zootopia.' During the week, Disney Animation director Ron Clements ('The Little Mermaid,' 'Aladdin') will be inducted into Annecy's Walk of Fame. Dreamworks Animation's slate presentation will include Aug. 1 release 'The Bad Guys 2.' Helmer Pierre Perifel, who also directed the original, will be at Annecy, joined by returning composer Daniel Pemberton. Universal will present a preview of writer/director Dean DeBlois' upcoming live action reimaging of 'How to Train Your Dragon.' A first look at Paul McCartney's 3D animated film 'High in the Cloud' helmed by Toby Genkel joined the lineup. It's recently-announced all star cast includes Celine Dion, Himesh Patel, Hannah Waddingham, Idris Elba and Ringo Starr. Pixar's Pete Docter will host a slate presentation, joined by 'Elio' directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi, and producer Mary Alice Drumm. This will include footage from June 20 release 'Elio' and first looks at the studio's 2026 releases, 'Hoppers' and 'Toy Story 5.' Marking the 30th anniversary of the original 'Toy Story,' Docter will share footage of Pixar as a young studio working on the movie. Andy Serkis will introduce a screening of 'Animal Farm,' his upcoming animated adaptation of the George Orwell novel, produced by Aniventure and Imaginarium. Its all-star voice cast includes Seth Rogen as devious pig Napoleon, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox and Kieran Culkin. Serkis will also lend his voice. Next on Netflix will include new footage of Fall release 'In Your Dreams,' its upcoming comedy adventure set in the dreams of a pair of siblings, introduced by director Alex Woo, production designer Steven Pilcher, and VFX supervisor Nicola Lavender; and a first look at its animated series 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85,' with showrunner Eric Robles. Annecy will host the world premiere of Genndy Tartakovsky's 'Fixed,' produced by Sony Pictures Animation (Tartakovsky's 'Hotel Transylvania'). The movie will be released by Netflix on Aug. 13. SPA's Annecy plans also include more on its upcoming feature 'GOAT' with director Tyree Dillihay and producer Michelle Raimo-Kouyate. Paramount & Nickelodeon Animation's slate presentation will include'Smurfs,' directed by Chris Miller ('Puss in Boots') and 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,' helmed by Derek Drymon. A first look at Paul McCartney's 3D animated film 'High in the Cloud' helmed by Toby Genkel will be featured. It's recently-announced voice cast includes Celine Dion, Himesh Patel, Hannah Waddingham, Idris Elba and Ringo Starr. Laika's development slate presentation will include a sneak peak at Travis Knight-helmed 'Wildwood.' Additionally, Laika director Chris Butler ('Paranorman,' 'Missing Link') will present a masterclass during the festival. Honorary Cristals will be awarded to Michael Gondry, who will also screen his new film 'Maya, Give Me Another Title;' animator and advocate Joanna Quinn, who will receive her honor as part of the 10th Women in Animation Summit; and 'The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening, who will participate in a session on the longrunning series. Annecy's 2025 country of honor is Hungary and related programming will include Hungarian feature films, such as 'Bubble Bath' and 'Heroic Times,' as well as student films. Best of Variety 'Blue Velvet,' 'Chinatown' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' Arrive on 4K in June All the Godzilla Movies Ranked Final Oscar Predictions: International Feature – United Kingdom to Win Its First Statuette With 'The Zone of Interest'
