Warner Bros. sues Midjourney over 'breathtaking piracy'
What's the story
Warner Bros. Discovery has sued Midjourney, an artificial intelligence (AI) start-up, for allegedly infringing its copyrights. The lawsuit accuses Midjourney of generating "countless" unauthorized images and videos of popular characters such as Superman, Bugs Bunny, and Scooby-Doo using its AI tools. Warner Bros. claims that Midjourney has reproduced, displayed, and distributed "unauthorized derivatives" of its intellectual property through these tools.
Evidence presented
Midjourney generated infringing images based on prompts
The lawsuit provides several instances where Midjourney's AI tools seemingly created images of copyrighted characters like Wonder Woman, Tweety, Power Puff Girls, and Rick and Morty. This was done in response to prompts asking for these characters in specific scenarios. The complaint also alleges that Midjourney generated infringing images even without specific character mentions. For example, a prompt for a "classic comic book superhero battle" led to downloadable images of Superman, Batman, and Flash.
Ongoing litigation
Other studios have also sued Midjourney
Notably, Warner Bros. isn't the only entertainment giant taking legal action against Midjourney. Disney and Universal have also filed a copyright lawsuit against the company, calling its AI image generator a "virtual vending machine" that produces "endless unauthorized copies" of their work. The ongoing legal battles highlight the growing concern over AI's potential to infringe on intellectual property rights in the entertainment industry.
Allegations
Warner Bros. accuses Midjourney of willfully infringing copyrights
Warner Bros. alleges that Midjourney is fully aware of its "breathtaking scope of piracy and copyright infringement" but refuses to protect copyright holders. The lawsuit states, "It is hard to imagine copyright infringement that is any more willful than what Midjourney is doing here." It further accuses the company of intentionally exploiting Warner Bros. Discovery's valuable intellectual property to attract subscribers and profit by providing them with endless copies and derivatives of its copyrighted works.
Legal action
What does Warner Bros. want from the lawsuit?
Warner Bros. is suing Midjourney for damages over the alleged copyright infringement and is seeking an injunction to stop the company from copying, displaying or distributing its intellectual property. The studio also wants to prevent Midjourney from offering AI tools without copyright protection measures. Midjourney has yet to respond on this matter.