2 days ago
Disney and NBCUniversal sue AI firm Midjourney over copyright infringement
The Walt Disney Company and NBCUniversal have jointly filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Midjourney, accusing it of large-scale copyright infringement. Filed in a federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, the suit claims that Midjourney's image generation tool enables users to create high-quality, unauthorized images of copyrighted characters like Darth Vader and the marks the first significant legal action from major studios against an AI firm for alleged misuse of intellectual ALLEGES 'TEXTBOOK COPYRIGHT VIOLATION'
The complaint likens Midjourney's platform to a 'virtual vending machine' that allows users to access copyrighted characters with simple prompts. According to the studios, the platform bypasses creative investment and profits from their iconic content without permission.'Piracy is piracy,' the filing states. 'Whether it's done through traditional means or via artificial intelligence, the result remains the same—unauthorized reproduction of protected works.'Disney and NBCUniversal are demanding statutory damages, a full accounting of Midjourney's earnings from the allegedly infringing content, and a permanent injunction to halt future violations. They also highlighted that the AI company is preparing to roll out a video generation service, which they argue could further exacerbate the CONCERS OVER AI TRANING PracticesThe lawsuit also raises broader concerns about how AI companies train their models using copyrighted content, a practice that has sparked ongoing debate in the creative and tech some, including the Motion Picture Association (MPA), argue that existing copyright laws are adequate, studios maintain that Midjourney's practices are overtly reported by Deadline, Disney and NBCU legal chiefs stressed that AI's potential must be balanced with respect for creative ownership. 'Thief or AI, infringement is infringement,' said Kim Harris of NBCUniversal. Disney's Horacio Gutierrez added that while the companies welcome AI innovation, they cannot ignore the unauthorised exploitation of decades-old Watch
