Disney, NBCU Sue AI Image Generator Midjourney Over Copyright Infringement

Disney and NBCUniversal have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against AI image generator firm Midjourney in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, marking the first time major Hollywood studios have taken legal action against a generative AI company.

The entertainment giants accuse Midjourney, founded in 2021, of training its software on 'countless' copyrighted works without permission and enabling users to create images that 'blatantly incorporate and copy' famous characters including Darth Vader, the Minions, Frozen's Elsa, Shrek, and Homer Simpson.

The companies claim they attempted to resolve the matter privately, but Midjourney 'continued to release new versions' with 'even higher quality infringing images' according to the complaint. Disney's general counsel used the word 'piracy,' to describe Midjourney's practice, while NBCUniversal's general counsel characterized it as 'blatant infringement.'

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