Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against Midjourney for copyright infringement, joining industry giants Disney and Comcast’s Universal in a growing legal battle over the implications of artificial intelligence in film and television. The complaint, lodged on Thursday in a California federal court, accuses Midjourney of operating a commercial subscription service that utilizes AI technology developed using unauthorized copies of Warner Bros. Discovery’s copyrighted materials.
The lawsuit claims that Midjourney has profited from what it calls “brazen” infringement of Warner Bros. Discovery’s intellectual property, specifically highlighting characters such as Bugs Bunny, Superman, Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, Scooby-Doo, and the Powerpuff Girls. “Midjourney thinks it is above the law,” the complaint alleges, underscoring the severity of the situation as the entertainment industry grapples with the rapid advancements in AI technology.
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery stated, “The heart of what we do is develop stories and characters to entertain our audiences, bringing to life the vision and passion of our creative partners. Midjourney is blatantly and purposefully infringing copyrighted works, and we filed this suit to protect our content, our partners, and our investments.”
According to court documents, the lawsuit argues that Midjourney creates “consumer confusion” by misleading its subscribers into believing that the extensive copying of images and videos generated by its service is authorized by Warner Bros. Discovery. The company is seeking damages of $150,000 for each infringed work.
This lawsuit is part of a broader pattern of legal actions against AI technologies that utilize copyrighted materials without permission. Earlier this month, Anthropic resolved a significant copyright lawsuit for $15 billion, and the ongoing complaints from Disney and Universal describe Midjourney as a “bottomless pit of plagiarism.”
As the entertainment industry continues to navigate the complex intersection of creativity and technology, the implications of AI on intellectual property rights remain uncertain. The outcome of this legal battle may set important precedents for how AI-generated content is treated under copyright law, potentially reshaping industry practices and standards moving forward.
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