Warner Bros. Discovery has initiated legal action against Midjourney, a startup specializing in artificial intelligence, claiming that the company is unlawfully utilizing its intellectual property. According to the lawsuit, Midjourney has reportedly produced numerous images and videos that infringe on Warner Bros. characters such as Superman, Bugs Bunny, and Scooby-Doo, among others.
The lawsuit asserts that Midjourney engages in the reproduction, showcase, and distribution of “unauthorized derivatives” of Warner Bros. intellectual property via its AI-driven image and video generation tools. The complaint includes various instances where Midjourney’s AI has allegedly produced images of copyrighted characters in response to specific prompts.
Warner Bros. Discovery contends that Midjourney is capable of producing infringing material even when prompts do not explicitly reference a character. For example, the lawsuit indicates that images of Superman, Batman, and the Flash were generated in response to the prompt “classic comic book superhero battle.” Midjourney is also facing similar copyright claims from Disney and Universal, who describe its AI tool as a “virtual vending machine” that churns out unauthorized versions of their characters.
Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery asserts that Midjourney is aware of the extensive scope of its alleged infringement yet takes no action to safeguard copyright holders. The lawsuit states, “It is hard to imagine copyright infringement that is any more willful than what Midjourney is doing here. Midjourney is purposefully exploiting Warner Bros. Discovery’s valuable intellectual property to attract subscribers to Midjourney, and it is profiting by providing subscribers with endless copies and derivatives of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Copyrighted Works.”
Warner Bros. Discovery is pursuing damages through this lawsuit and is petitioning the court to prevent Midjourney from copying, exhibiting, or disseminating its intellectual property. The company also seeks an order to compel Midjourney to implement copyright protection measures within its AI tools. Midjourney has yet to issue a response to these allegations.
