Major Entertainment Studios (Disney, Universal, DreamWorks) Sue Midjourney, Accuse It of Being an Endless Abyss of Copying Works

In a Nutshell

• Disney, Universal, and other studios have taken legal action against AI firm Midjourney, claiming that its image generation tool infringes on copyrights by creating unauthorized reproductions of beloved characters.
• The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. court, accuses Midjourney of engaging in "blatant piracy" and claims that it has not made an effort to filter out copyrighted content, despite having the ability to do so.
• The case represents another instance of capital-intensive industries suing AI companies over copyright violations, as the use of copyrighted materials during training or generation becomes a hot-button issue.
• Despite acknowledging the utilization of copyrighted content in training, AI companies like OpenAI argue that it is impossible to develop AI systems without it.
• Additional lawsuits against AI firms are on the rise, with others, like Midjourney, facing criticism for lax copyright safeguards and overreliance on unauthorized training data.
• The growing debate over AI's impact on creative labor in the film industry has been brought into focus by a recent British Film Institute report, which warns of potential losses in revenue and job disruptions caused by AI in the sector.

Dive Deeper

Major Entertainment Studios (Disney, Universal, DreamWorks) Sue Midjourney, Accuse It of Being an Endless Abyss of Copying Works

Disney, Universal, along with DreamWorks and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, have launched a legal offensive against artificial intelligence company Midjourney, accusing it of copyright infringement. The complaint, filed in a U.S. federal court, calls out Midjourney as a "bottomless pit of plagiarism." The lawsuit is founded on the belief that the AI tool, by producing outputs that incorporate famous characters like Shrek and Spider-Man, is appropriating the studios' copyrighted works without due authorship and compensation.

The lawsuit exemplifies the intensifying legal scrutiny AI companies face concerning their data gathering practices. Midjourney's image generation tool has been accused of facilitating the unauthorized use of copyrighted materials.

As the reach and influence of generative AI tools grow, the question of whether AI companies can lawfully use copyrighted works without explicit permission looms large. Companies such as OpenAI admit to using copyrighted content for training, contending that it is "impossible" to develop AI systems without it. However, this stance is being challenged in the ongoing suit against Midjourney, setting a possible precedent that diminishes the industry's reliance on fair use as a justification for training their AI models with copyrighted content.

Exacerbating this issue, some AI companies, including Midjourney, have been criticized for inadequate safeguards regarding copyright protection. The studios argue that Midjourney has the capability to filter out copyrighted material and save its proprietary assets, much the same way it filters out violent or pornographic content. Instead, the studios assert that Midjourney chose not to prioritize protecting copyrighted materials.

Midjourney grappled with controversy early on when it limited image generation related to Chinese President Xi Jinping and allowed users to create images of other world leaders, drawing criticism for its lax copyright enforcement.

The film industry is grappling with how AI will transform creative labor, with a British Film Institute report warning that AI poses a direct threat to screen sector jobs and revenue. The report cites research suggesting that global audiovisual creators may lose up to 21% of their revenue over a three-year period, and that more than 200,000 U.S. entertainment jobs could be disrupted by AI, particularly entry-level positions.

The resolution of the Disney, Universal, and Midjourney lawsuit could firmly establish legal precedents affecting how AI companies operate and view intellectual property rights. If Midjourney is found liable for copyright infringement, it may lead to increased regulation on data usage and cultivate a greater appreciation for intellectual property. Meanwhile, the film industry gears up for the potential impacts of AI on both creative labor and competitive landscapes.

• Amidst the legal battle between Disney, Universal, and other studios against AI firm Midjourney, the question arises on whether AI companies can lawfully use technology to create content that incorporates copyrighted characters from the entertainment industry, such as Shrek or Spider-Man.
• The intensifying dispute over the use of copyrighted material in AI training raises concerns for the future of the entertainment industry, particularly in relation to the potential loss of revenue and job disruptions due to the increasing influence of AI in technology and entertainment.

Read also: