Disney and Universal sue AI firm Midjourney over images

Disney and Universal, two of the biggest names in the movie industry, have filed a lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company called Midjourney. The lawsuit claims that Midjourney's AI image generator is creating countless copies of famous characters owned by these studios without permission. Characters like Darth Vader from Star Wars, Elsa from Frozen, and the Minions from Despicable Me are among those allegedly copied. This legal action highlights the ongoing struggle in the entertainment world over how to handle new AI technologies.

Midjourney's AI tool works by taking text prompts from users and turning them into images. According to the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Los Angeles, many of these images closely resemble Disney and Universal's copyrighted characters. Disney's chief legal officer, Horacio Gutierrez, expressed hope that AI can be used responsibly to boost creativity but emphasized that copying or piracy remains illegal, regardless of whether a computer is involved. The studios also revealed that Midjourney earned around 300 million dollars last year and is planning to launch a new video service soon.

Legal experts note that many images produced by Midjourney appear to be direct copies of copyrighted characters, sometimes placed in new settings or with different backgrounds. This raises questions about whether these images are truly original or just slight variations of existing works. Copyright law allows for creativity that builds on previous works, but only if it adds something new and imaginative. Lawyers also point out that the case is complex, involving Midjourney's terms of service and fair use laws, and the court will have to carefully consider these factors before making a decision. Midjourney has not yet responded to the lawsuit. The company is relatively small, with fewer than a dozen full-time employees, and is led by David Holz, who has a background in technology startups. Hollywood continues to explore the benefits and challenges of AI, which has already been used in movies to change actors' voices and appearances.