Midjourney faces copyright infringement lawsuit from Disney and Universal

Disney and Universal have filed a joint lawsuit against Midjourney, alleging that the firm has committed copyright infringement with its AI image generation platform.

Midjourney first entered open beta in 2022 and has received a series of updates since then, allowing for more accurate and advanced images. Users are able to create images through text prompts including the likes of Shrek, Darth Vader, Buzz Lightyear and a host of other copyrighted characters.

In a filing at the District Court for the Central District of California, Disney and Universal state: “By helping itself to Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works, and then distributing images (and soon videos) that blatantly incorporate and copy Disney’s and Universal’s famous characters—without investing a penny in their creation – Midjourney is the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism.”

While Midjourney typically filters out, or heavily alters, prompts with trademarked names, users are able to skirt the restrictions...