Don't use our movies to train AI, Universal warns
What's the story
Universal Pictures has issued a legal warning at the end credits of its movies, stating that its titles "may not be used to train AI." First added in June with How to Train Your Dragon, it has since appeared in Jurassic World Rebirth and Bad Guys 2. "This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries," the warning reads. "Unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution," it adds.
Protection measures
The warning's global expansion
The global inclusion of this warning is part of Universal's strategy to protect its movies from being mined for data and used in AI training. In some countries, the notice refers to a 2019 European Union copyright law that lets creators opt out of having their material used in scientific research by explicitly reserving their rights. This move comes as studios face increasing competition for viewers' attention due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
Industry disruption
AI's threat to the entertainment industry
The emergence of AI poses a major threat to the entertainment industry. It is feared that a significant number of moviegoers could ditch traditional films for mass-produced content created with AI tools, which heavily borrow from studios' intellectual property. So far, most AI tools have been integrated into parts of the production pipeline to streamline processes such as visual effects, concept art, and dubbing.
Market shift
Such content could become a new market
There are emerging players who believe that AI-generated content will create a new market of viewers. They are looking to completely overhaul production. On July 30, Edward Saatchi's Fable Studios announced an undisclosed investment by Amazon in Showrunner, an AI content platform where users can create episodes with just a couple of words as prompts. The company has big plans, including a 2026 theatrical release for its first AI-generated movie.
Copyright issues
Concerns about AI replicating copyrighted frames
In 2024, some AI image generators began producing near-exact replicas of frames from films. This raised concerns that they could have been used to train some AI systems. For instance, when prompted with "Thanos Infinity War," Midjourney produced an image of the purple-skinned villain in a frame that looks like it was taken from the Marvel movie or promotional materials.
Legal action
Disney, Universal have sued Midjourney over this issue
The ability of AI image generators to replicate almost any animation style has prompted Disney and Universal to sue Midjourney. The lawsuit hinges on the novel legal question of whether AI companies are protected by fair use, a legal doctrine in intellectual property law that permits creators to build upon copyrighted works without licenses. However, authors recently lost two separate cases against Amazon-backed Anthropic and Meta on this issue.